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Statute I I 5A.94. The Commission also preseIited a list of goals related to how an organized system would look in Falcon Heights. (Appendix A) Letters were sent to all . the residents of single family homes in the City and to all the licensed haulers informing them of the Commission's recommendation and armouncing a public hearing before the City Council on March 24. As they had done with the RamseyIWashington Counties' process two years earlier, the haulers mounted a direct mail and advertising campaign urging residents to contact the Council and express opposition to organized collection. Many did so, but almost as many expressed their strong support of the idea. (public comment from that phase of the process was recorded and given to the Council. The public comment log is too long to be appended to this report, but it can be viewed at City Hall.) In the end the Council did approve the resolution of intent by unaninlous vote on March 24, 2004. At that time the Council stated very clearly that their approval of the resolution of intent was not a final approval of organized collection but a direction to the Solid Waste Commission to continue their study of all sides of the issue. The Falcon Heights 90-day planning period has been extended to allow for additional study requested by the Council. Progress since March 24 Under the terms of the statute, after a city holds the public hearing and passes a resolution intent, it is then required to spend at least 90 days in the development of plans or proposals for organized collection, providing to licensed refuse haulers the opportunity to . participate in the plarming. Following the end of the planning period, the statute calls for another period of at least 90 days, designated for discussion of possible organized collection arrangements with the haulers. A city may implement organized collection at the end of the discussion period, unless all parties have reached some other agreement sooner. Since March 24, the Solid Waste Connnission has met monthly to work on the study and to do the planning called for by statute. Members of the Commission toured the resource recovery facility at Newport, Minnesota, where municipal solid waste is prepared as fuel for producing electricity, and the "state of the art" landfill at Elk River. Commissioners and Staff sought information from other cities that have considered organized collection and reviewed published infonnation, not only on organized collection, but also on related economic, environmental and policy issues. A public information meeting was held on May 20. On June 23 the Conunission annOlUlced the need for an extension to the plarming period and gave an interim progress report to the Council. The report was published on the City website and is included with this report as Appendix B. Participation afHaulers In addition, the Commission held two informative and constructive meetings with the refuse haulers licensed in Falcon Heights. At those meetings haulers indicated that they would like to work with the City on alternatives to organized collection and they offered . City of Falcon Heights Final Report on Organized Collection October 13, 2004 6