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8a. Compost Stie Update1 1 CITY OF xo-j �SANSASSEN 690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317 (612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739 TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager FROM: John Rask, Planner I Jill Sinclair, Forestry Intern DATE: November 8, 1995 SUBJ: Future Compost Site Background As the city continues to grow, so do the organic materials produced by each home. Getting rid of green waste has been made increasing difficult and expensive by laws which restrict the disposal of yard waste in landfills or the burning of these materials. In addition, some haulers seem reluctant to pick up such products or charge extra fees for the waste. The flow of organic materials is ever expanding, and the city has recognized this trend by offering backyard composters at a reduced price to residents as well as information on how to reduce green waste. One of the major steps Chanhassen has taken to help residents reduce and recycle organic material is to organize and operate a compost site open seasonally to all residents. Not only have residents had a problem disposing of yard waste, but the City's public works and park crews are also finding it increasingly difficult to properly dispose of green waste. Last year the city passed a diseased tree ordinance which requires residents to remove and dispose of any trees diagnosed with Dutch elm disease or oak wilt. Currently, the only site residents can take diseased trees to be processed is in Maple Grove. This inconvenience makes residents reluctant to properly dispose of diseased trees. Chanhassen has began accepting diseased elms at the compost site late this summer and did receive a number of them, although no records were kept. This year, the parks department established a mulching program for all trees in public parks. A ' constant supply of wood chips is needed for this program to be effective. The park crews have been using a limited supply of chips made from last winter's pruning waste. Plans for using wood collected at the compost site for mulch have been discussed and endorsed by the parks ' department. As a related matter, Carver County is currently pursuing a grant that would be used to purchase a tub grinder used to chip wood. The grinder would be available to all communities MEMORANDUM Don Ashworth November 8, 1995 Page 2 in the county provided they enter into a joint powers agreement. This would allow Chanhassen to have a constant supply of wood chips available to city crews and residents and save on the cost of having the material hauled off -site. Currently, Chanhassen offers a compost drop -off site adjacent to Bandimere Park. The site is open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. during the spring, summer, and fall. Here residents can leave yard wastes and brush up to two inches in diameter for a minimal fee. The city then contracts out to have the green material hauled away to a recycling site. The compost site has steadily increased in usage since records were first kept in 1993. In 1994, -the site was open for 29 weeks and accepted an estimated 52.1 tons of material for composting. It cost $5,312.61 to operate the site for 29 weeks last year. Revenues equaled $2,105.25. Each year Chanhassen has received a grant for Carver County to cover the costs of operating the site. Last year, Chanhassen received approximately $8,000.00. This money was used to run the compost site as well as purchase composters and reusable lawn bags. As of October 1995, 63 tons of leaves and grass has been collected. Not included in the calculations are brush, branches, and logs. These materials were piled at the compost site and were to be chipped. Estimated tonnage of this material is approximately 20 tons. Through October 21, labor and roll -off costs totaled $5,918.00 and revenues equaled $1,948.00. Grant funds the city will receive from Carver County for 1995 equal $7,280.00. As can be seen, the grant money and revenues received each year adequately cover the costs of the compost site, the city's cost includes land and administration. As a part of the 1996 budget proposal, money was allocated for providing expanded composting service. The existing compost site at Bandimere Park has been considered a temporary site since it was first established there in 1992. It is located directly off of Great Plains Boulevard and has poor access due to a blind corner to the north. The drive into the site is gravel and has a steep slope. The park site will be developed as a neighborhood park in the near future and it is certain that because of the development the site will not be available in the future. Analysis With all of this in mind, several issues are worth considering. First of all, establishing a permanent compost site where received material could be kept and processed on site. Secondly, expanding the receivable materials to include large diameter brush and wood. Third, increasing hours of operation to make the site convenient to all residents. Fourth, providing a local site where diseased wood can be processed. Lastly, providing residents with finished compost products and wood chips. Potential Options J I Don Ashworth November 8, 1995 ' Page 3 Staff has researched available city -owned property which may be suitable for a compost site and ' found that locations are very limited. Besides the Bandimere site, the only other possibility would be city -owned land on Park Place Road (see attachment). This site is currently used by public works for storage of wood chips, dirt, and other materials. If the location were to be used ' as a compost site, public works would continue to have access to the site for storage of specific materials. The site has good access off a cul -de -sac, satisfactory space, and is in an industrially zoned area. It has sufficient area for material processing as well as being centrally located. A ' consideration of the site is a proposed park trail that would border the site. Over the years, city staff has been in communication with the University Landscape Arboretum ' and cities of Chaska and Victoria regarding a shared compost site. A cooperative effort would reduce the city's responsibility for the site and increase the potential for a site that would better meet the demands of the users. Benefits of a collaboration would include more hours of ' operation, greater availability of compost and wood chips for the public, reduced costs for the city, and decrease in amount of time staff spends administering the site. The most pressing ' disadvantage is the lack of momentum to see that a compost site such as this is developed. Discussions about such a site started in 1994 and have not progressed since then. Staff will continue to pursue this as an option. L 1 The city could purchase property. Advantages include choice of location and suitability. Disadvantages are many, such as staff time spent searching for a site, cost of property, and cost of improvements to the site. Another alternative would be city wide collection by city crews. Collection days and neighborhoods would be organized for curbside pick -up of organic materials which would be taken to a city compost site or holding area. Advantages include control and direction of the program and resident convenience. Disadvantages would be cost, administrative investment of time, and added work load for public works. A similar approach has also been proposed in the Chanhassen Solid Waste Collection Contract. Haulers would be required to offer yard waste collection services. A mandatory three times a year, two weeks in the spring and fall and one month in January, haulers would schedule yard waste collection. Optional collection could occur at other times of the year. Disadvantages include the inconvenience of limited collection times, cost for residents, size restrictions on materials. Staff believes that organized collection will not be able to handle all of the city's yard wastes and a compost site will still be needed. Recommendation Staff is requesting that the Council direct the analysis of a potential permanent compost site. I I MEADOW j� LAKE ANN GREEN PA iNk L AKE ANN PARK � ARBORE''UM p O�Q/l�f•� a A M�)0 � McGLYNN IR._ c� a. I EVARD� PA K 1 1 C0 RT o •ate � N � �mill In i DRIVE 1 PARK L j L A KE SUSAN moll an m CITY OF CHANHASSEN ' CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE III ' OF THE CHANHASSEN CITY CODE CONCERNING URBAN AND RURAL SERVICE DISTRICTS ' THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN ORDAINS: , SECTION 1. Section 2 -32 of the Chanhassen City Code is amended to read: Sec. 2 -32. Urban and Rural Service Districts. (a) The City is divided into an urban service district and a rural service district, constituting separate taxing districts for the purpose of all municipal property taxes except those levied for the payment of bonds and judgments and interest thereon. The urban , service district includes all properties within the Carver County limits in the city except those set forth by ordinance as the rural service district. The rural service district shall ' include only such unplatted lands which need not be contiguous to one another, as in the judgment of the council at the time of adoption of the ordinance are rural in character, and are not developed for commercial, industrial, or urban residential purposes, and for ' these reasons are not benefited to the same degree as other lands by municipal services financed by general taxation. The Council finds that only property put to the following uses is rural in character: a parcel on which ninety percent (90 %) of the tillable land is ' used for growing corn, grain, or seed crops; a parcel where the principal use is raising poultry, cattle, sheep, or swine; a parcel which is enrolled in the Federal Conservation Reserve Program. Rural in character specifically does not include property served by ' public sewer or water, tree farms, nurseries, hobby farms, and property whose principal use is residential, A dwelling on land that does not qualify for taxation under the Minnesota Agricultural property tax law shall be considered urban residential. (b) The City Council finds that as of the date of the adoption of this ordinance ' the parcels identified on a list dated , 1995, entitled "Rural Service Districts" on file with the City Clerk are in the rural service district. (c) Whenever any parcel of land included in the rural service district is platted, in whole or in part, or whenever application is made for a permit for the construction of a commercial, industrial, or urban residential building or improvement to be situated on such parcel or any part thereof, or whenever such building or improvement is commenced without a permit, the Council shall make and enter an order by resolution transferring , 27323 r11/09/95 ' 0 u such platted or improved parcel from the rural service district to the urban service district. (d) In the judgment of the Council, the ratio that exists between the benefits resulting from tax supported municipal service to parcels in the rural service district to parcels in the urban service district is sixty percent (60 %), plus any municipal property taxes levied for payments of bonds and judgments, and interest thereon. SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its passage and publication. PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of , 1995 by the City Council of the City of Chanhassen. ATTEST: Don Ashworth, Clerk/Manager Donald J. Chmiel, Mayor (Published in the Chanhassen Villager on , 1995). 27323 2 r11/09/95 u Fj CAMPBELL, KNUTSON, SCOTT & FUCHS, P.A. Attorneys at Law Thomas J. Campbell (612) 452 -5000 Andrea McDowell Poehler Roger N. Knutson Thomas M. Scott Matthew K. Brokl Fax (612) 452 -5550 Marguerite M. McCarron Gary G. Fuchs George T. Stephenson James R. Walston Elliott B. Knetsch November 10, 1995 CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL Donald J. Chmiel, Mayor Mike Mason, Councilmember Steven Berquist, Councilmember Colleen Dockendorf, Councilmember Mark Senn, Councilmember RE: URBAN AND RURAL SERVICE DISTRICT ORDINANCE Dear Mayor and Councilmembers: Enclosed for your review please find draft of the urban and rural service district ordinance which is on the Council agenda for Monday night, November 13, 1995. Very truly yours, TSON, SCOTT r&U HS, 7P.A. BY: - Roger N. Knutson RNK: srn Enclosure cc: Don Ashworth RECEIVED 10V!31995 CITY OF CKANHASSEN Suite 317 • Eagandale Office Center • 1380 Corporate Center Curve • Eagan, MN 55121 J 1 C I 1