CC_Minutes_2014_1020 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, October 20, 2014 Page 18 have been initiated by City staff with Ramsey County staff, it remained a work in progress. Councilmember Etten questioned if an outcome would be changing recycling to weekly pick-up with the addition of organics; with Mr. Schwartz responding that this was a question, whether to incorporate organic collection with garbage collec- tion versus recycling collections. Mayor Roe referenced the U of MN-Mankato study with a projected completion date of February of 2014, and sought the status of that study from Mr. Schwartz. Public Works Director Schwartz advised that the study tool was available, and staff could provide a demonstration of road design predictions of wear and tear predicted in dollar amounts based on the number and frequency of trucks on a road; and using design parameters and predicting those costs, but not used to af- fect road design but rather predicting which roads would last longer based on travel patterns and axel weight. Mr. Schwartz advised that the study tool was based on the same road design model used in the past by the Metropolitan Coun- cil, and remained a standard proven over time and many years of research, having evolved over the years. Mr. Schwartz also noted that the model considered road durability depending on tonnage and axel weight of trucks, and assumed roadway materials were of the highest quality available. The consensus of the body was that they would appreciate that type of infor- mation going forward. The Council concurred it was looking for that type of in- formation Unless hearing a different direction from his colleagues, Councilmember Willmus suggested that the community survey continue to ask this question about orga- nized collection; however, he thought it was very clear based on survey results that the community was not yet supportive of organized collection. Therefore, Councilmember Willmus stated that he was not an advocate of moving forward without that majority support of the community. As a follow-up for additional information from the public safety aspect with gar- bage trucks going down streets, Mayor Roe asked staff to research any accident data and factor that in to future discussions if sufficiently documented. Councilmember McGehee suggested changing the survey question wording to in- clude the consortium option, as that option was not identified in the most recent survey. Councilmember McGehee questioned whether there was any downside in initiating the 60-day review period and discussion with haulers to see what they would propose, especially if consideration was given to safety in having fewer trucks on your street and thereby reducing overall costs.