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4. Communication Items <br /> Public Works Director Culver provided additional comments and a brief review <br /> and update on projects and maintenance activities listed in the staff report dated <br /> August 23, 2016. <br /> Member Wozniak referenced a recent email between staff and PWETC <br /> commissioners regarding recycling in parks, as an email response to Chair Cihacek, <br /> but not all commissioners had received the emails. <br /> At the request of Vice Chair Lenz regarding the email context, Member Wozniak <br /> reported that his colleague and municipal contact for Ramsey County had informed <br /> him that the unit price in the Eureka recycling contract for pulling containers from <br /> park locations at $10/month/container was excessive compared to that of the City <br /> of Bloomington's vendor contract at $3/container/month. Member Wozniak <br /> calculated that at 200 containers over a nine-month period, the cost for that service <br /> would exceed $180,000 for weekly service; noting that his colleague had <br /> questioned the City of Roseville's rationale in agreeing to pay that amount. <br /> Mr. Culver clarified that there was some miscommunication involved; but noted it <br /> had become clear during staff negotiations with Eureka on a new contract,that they <br /> and apparently all vendors had misinterpreted the city's intent for monthly charge <br /> for carts, which the city had not been aware of before these contract negotiations <br /> with Eureka. Mr. Culver advised that the error in interpretation involved whether <br /> the cost was per month or every time a cart was pulled. Mr. Culver clarified that <br /> the actual cost was $10 per pull per month. <br /> Member Wozniak recognized that he had been mistaken, as he thought it was $10 <br /> per cart per month; but noted that was still high compared to the City of <br /> Bloomington rate of$3. <br /> Mr. Culver advised the Eureka contract cost was closer to $9, and not all pick-ups <br /> would be weekly, but some-bi-weekly depending on their location and amount of <br /> use for that park and/or trail. Mr. Culver noted input had been and would continue <br /> to be received from the City Council, Parks & Recreation staff and their advisory <br /> commission to address concerns voiced about retrieving recycling bins remotely <br /> with a vehicle with arm attachment, the way the recycling contractors prefer. <br /> However, Mr. Culver advised that city staff had indicated they were not going to <br /> place 200 containers on the trails all at once at least to start, as they would be <br /> experimenting with various options. <br /> At this point, Mr. Culver advised that city staff and Eureka were negotiating for an <br /> initial roll out on trails of 10-20 carts. However, Mr. Culver noted this created a <br /> different cost for Eureka as they needed to change some of their pricing schemes, <br /> originally based on quantity, some of those dollars intended for their capital <br /> purchase of smaller vehicles for those trails. Mr. Culver advised that discussions <br /> Page 2 of 14 <br />