Citizens Waste Management Advisory and City Response

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7. CURRENT PRACTICES--RAMSEY COONTY On December 7.2, 1989, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved an interim System for Yard Waste Management. This plan outlines the three main elements contained in the County's yard waste program: increased public education on waste reductian of yard waste in conjunction with the Ramsey County Extension Service; continuation of the use of community compost sites with use limited to Ramsey County residents disposing of grass clippings and leaves from their own property; and a contract with a composter to accept yard waste from com- mercial haulers and lawn service companies as well as from the County. 7.1. Public Education The Ramsey County Board of Commissions authoxized an aggressive advertising campaign for 1990 aimed at informing the public of the new yard waste disposal restrictions and increasing awareness af the County's compost sites. "Don't Bag Your Grass" ads have run frequently in majox- and local Twin Cities newspapers. Brochures describing strategies far dealing with the yaxd waste disposal restrictions and maps of the counties compost sites have been distributed to all County residents. The campaign seems effective in increasing public awareness af the yard waste issues and compost sites (as described in 7.2). 7.2. Eight County Operated Compost Sites in Operation Early in 1990 Ramsey County decided to continue operation of its eight public compost sites. County residents were allowed ta bring in garden wastes, lawn cuttings, weeds, and prunings af saft bodied plants from residential property. Commercial waste haulers and commercial lawn service companies are not allowed site access. Initially, the County planned to operate the eight sites, five days a week from March 31 through June 1, then c��se four of the sites until September 28, and then reopen all eight sites for the period from September 29 through November 3�. This plan had been formed by using yard waste drop off volumes from previous years. However, yard waste disposal restrictions, added hauler collec- tion fees, and the ad campaign coupled to increase greatly the use of the County compost sites in the first months of operation. This increased use caused the County to reconsider its schedule, and all eight compost sites were kept in operation into the summer, with record volumes deposited at all sites. In fact, the quantity of yard waste left at some sites has required the County to haul the yard waste from those sites to Composting Concepts Inc_ (see 7.3)_ �0