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Ramsey County, in coordination with the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB), funds education efforts at the grassroots level through the Community POWER grant program. Through regional partnerships, Ramsey County is able to leverage education tools and resources to share with its residents and businesses. Evaluation Feedback from the community is an important tool when designing, implementing and evaluating a communication program. Ramsey County conducts surveys of residential and non - residential generators every other year to identify opportunities for program changes and to measure changes in attitudes and behavior. In 2010 the residential survey included cell -phone users. The residential survey results showed that many people want to receive their information online and that residents want to be able to recycle when they are away from home. In response, we are providing recycling bins to cities and other public places, like athletic fields and community centers. Cost and Finance Solid waste programs and services in Ramsey County depend on a blend of public and private initiatives to manage waste. This blend complicates any discussion of financing, as much of the money that funds private waste management programs is not reported to the County. Those elements under the purview of Ramsey County are described below. Expenses Ramsey County uses the proceeds from the CEC to fund its solid and hazardous waste management programs, which includes a variety of services, such as • mandated planning, evaluation and reporting, • outreach, promotion and education, • direct services, such as yard waste sites and household hazardous waste services, • business waste assistance services, • technical assistance and consultation to municipalities, school districts and other public entities, • certain regulatory activities not funded by license fees (such as old dump inventory and evaluation, solid and hazardous waste dumping complaints, pre - demolition inspections) , • resource recovery services, • sustainability programming, • research and evaluation, and more. Each of these activities is related to a strategy or policy in the Master Plan. Revenue Sources Ramsey County relies on several revenue sources to pay for waste management services. Major sources include: SCORE Grant The State of Minnesota assesses a Solid Waste Management Tax on certain waste management activities. This tax goes into the Minnesota's general revenue fund, but a portion of this amount is provided to counties in the form of SCORE grants. Eligible expenses include waste reduction, recycling, problem materials management, public information and education, technical assistance, litter prevention, and MSW processing. Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan 2011 -2030 Page 149 Approved by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on 3120112