9. Composting Site I CITY OF
1 CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
1 (612) 937-1900 • FAX (612) 937-5739
1 MEMORANDUM
TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager
IFROM: Jo Ann Olsen, Senior Planner
DATE: September 3, 1991
1 SUBJ: Composting Site
1 In the spring of 1991, Carver County notified Chanhassen that they
will be closing the compost site located at Lake Minnewashta
Regional Park. It was their intention to close it almost
1 immediately, but instead agreed to keep it open on Saturdays until
the city could open an alternate site.
1 Staff researched several options for a composting site in
Chanhassen. The Recycling Committee reviewed the following items
on August 6, 1991:
II 1. TYPE OF FACILITY
Full Composting Site: A site within the city which accepts
1 leaves, grass clippings and brush
and processes the material on that
site.
IStaff Comments: 1. Would need a large site;
2. Cost: Money to run the
1 site and process the
material;
3. Potential impact on neighbors;
4. Require long time investment
1 and equipment.
Transfer Site: Materials are collected at a
1 transfer site and are not processed
at the site, but at the end of each
season are removed to be processed
ioff-site.
II
OW
It.l PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
1
p
11 Mr. Don Ashworth
September 3, 1991
' Page 2
Staff Comments: 1. Need a large area;
2. Would require maintenance of
the site and use of some
equipment;
3. Potential impact to neighbors;
' 4. Additional cost to have the
materials taken off-site
Drop-Off Site: A site where leaves, grass clippings
' and brush are deposited into roll-
off containers and removed from the
site as needed.
Staff Comments: 1. A smaller site is required;
2. The materials are brought on-
site and placed in containers
provided by the hauler and
removed off-site as soon as
containers are full;
3. Does not require processing of
materials, but results in
higher costs for removing the
' materials.
Require Haulers to Collect: Haulers would be required to collect
' the materials curbside.
Staff Comments: 1. Some haulers already do;
2. Where do the haulers take it?
' Do Nothing:
' Staff Comments: Most haulers collect the material and
the City could promote on-site
composting.
Recycling Committee Comments on Type of Facility:
The Recycling Committee chose to pursue a drop-off site. Due to
' the short period of time before fall clean up, it was felt a drop-
off site would be the quickest to set up and would be used as a
temporary measure. The Recycling Committee felt the city has to
' provide some form of site rather than do nothing. R & W Rolloff
has submitted a proposal to supply the containers and remove the
material from the site. The city will be responsible for
establishing and collecting fees and for having the site attended.
I
Mr. Don Ashworth
September 3, 1991
Page 3
2 . TYPES OF MATERIALS COLLECTED
Leaves
Grass Clippings
Brush
Recycling Committee Comments on Materials: 1
All three materials should be collected.
3. LOCATION OF THE SITE
Bandimere Park
Public Works Building
Merle Volk Property
Lake Ann Park
Staff Comments:
Keith from R & W Rolloff and myself visited three potential sites
for a compost drop off site. The sites visited were Lake Ann Park,
Public Works building and Bandimere Park. Both Lake Ann Park and
the Public Works building have adequate area for a drop off site
and have a level, improved surface for traffic and the rolloff
containers. Bandimere Park will need improvements made to the site
to provide a level, improved surface and to provide safe access.
Lake Ann Park and the Public Works building have the least
residences near the site.
After speaking with the City Manager and Street Superintendent,
staff agreed that Bandimere Park is the best location since it
would not conflict with existing uses. The city will make the
necessary improvements to the site and will install gates at the
entrances.
Recycling Committee Comments on Location:
On August 27, 1991, the Recycling Committee chose to recommend Lake
Ann Park as the compost drop off site over Bandimere Park. The
Recycling Committee felt access was unsafe at Bandimere Park and
that traffic to the site should not be promoted. The Recycling
Committee wanted to pass on their recommendation to the City
Council and let the City Council make the final decision. The Park
and Recreation Coordinator and the City Manager still prefer
Bandimere Park. Since the compost drop off site is just for this
fall, it will not conflict with uses at Bandimere Park, but will at
Lake Ann. If Lake Ann Park is chosen, the Park and Recreation
Commission should review it for their comments.
1
11 Mr. Don Ashworth
September 3, 1991
Page 4
' 4 . HOURS OF OPERATION:
' Recycling Committee Comments: The Recycling Committee chose
Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 -
4:00 p.m.
5. ATTENDED VERSUS NON-ATTENDED:
Recycling Committee Comments: The site must be attended to
' collect fees and ensure the material is disposed of properly.
The users of the site will be required to debag the material
and place it in the containers. Any brush will have to be
' bundled and tied. Staff will work with the Scouts to see if
they will attend the site or else the city will have to hire
someone to attend the site.
6. NO FEE VERSUS CHARGING A FEE FOR DISPOSAL:
Recycling Committee Comments: A fee was established which
' would cover R & W Rolloff's costs and the cost to have the
site attended. The following are the fees:
$1.00/bag of leaves or grass clippings
' $2.00/bundle of brush
7 . WHO CAN USE IT - RESIDENTS/NON-RESIDENTS/LAWN COMPANIES:
' Recycling Committee Comments: It was determined that the site
would not be open to commercial users, only residential users
(including non-residents) could use the site.
8. PUBLICITY:
' Recycling Committee Comments: The city will prepare a mass
mailing and use handouts, the newspaper and the newsletter to
promote the site. Again, major emphasis will be on composting
at home.
RECOMMENDATION
The decision the City Council will be making is for a temporary
facility to accommodate the fall collection of compost materials.
If the drop off site is successful, we will review making it a
' permanent facility and review a more permanent location. We are
hoping to have a site open by September 28, 1991. Again, the
recommendations are coming from the Recycling Committee who chose
' Lake Ann Park over staff's recommendation of Bandimere Park.
The Recycling Committee recommends that the City Council adopt the
following motion:
t
I
Mr. Don Ashworth
September 3, 1991
Page 5
The City Council recommends approval of a composting drop off '
site at Lake Ann Park which will do the following:
- Accept leaves, grass clippings and brush;
- Be open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and
Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4: 00 p.m. ;
- Not be open to commercial users.
Charge $1.00/bag of leaves or grass clippings and
$2.00/bundle of brush.
i
1
1
CITYOF
CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
•' (612) 937-1900 • FAX (612) 937-5739
MEMORANDUM
' TO: Recycling Committee
FROM: Jo Ann Olsen, Senior Planner
DATE: August 21, 1991
' SUBJ: Compost Site
' On August 6, 1991, the Recycling Committee discussed locating a
compost site in Chanhassen. Representatives from R & W Rolloff
were present at the meeting to discuss their proposal to provide a
drop off center for yard waste. The Recycling Committee directed
' R & W Rolloff to provide a proposal where R & W Rolloff would be
responsible for establishing and collecting fees and running the
site (essentially a privately run compost site) . The city would
' provide the site and public information.
R & W Rolloff has reviewed the proposal the Recycling Committee
' suggested and has determined that they do not want to be
responsible for collecting money at the site and want to stay with
the original proposal (Attachment #1) . The city will then be
responsible for establishing and collecting the fees and then
' paying R & W Rolloff. If the city is to be responsible for
collecting fees, punch cards or passes could be purchased at City
Hall. It should be possible to determine how much money needs to
' be collected per bag, etc. so that the city can charge enough to
cover the cost.
Keith from R & W Rolloff and myself visited three potential sites
for a compost drop off site. The sites visited were Lake Ann Park,
Public Works building and Bandimere Park. Both Lake Ann Park and
the Public Works building have adequate area for a drop off site
' and have a level improved surface for traffic and the rolloff
containers. Bandimere Park will need improvements made to the site
to provide a level improved surface and to provide safe access.
' Lake Ann Park and the Public Works building have the least
residences near the site.
f�4u PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
I
Compost Site i
August 21, 1991
Page 2
After speaking with the City Manager and Street Superintendent, we
have agreed that Bandimere Park is the best location since it would
not conflict with existing uses. The city will make the necessary
improvements to the site and will install gates at the entrances.
It was also discussed that the city will hire someone to attend the
site and that the site should be open Saturdays and Sundays. Since
the attendant will be high. school/college students evening hours
may be difficult.
It should be understood that this is a temporary site for this fall
and that the city must look for a more permanent location.
Bandimere Park will be developed in the near future and cannot
become the city's compost site.
If the city decides to open a compost site with R & W Rolloff
taking the material, the following needs to be decided:
Site
Hours of operation
Who attends the site
How fees are collected and how much the fees are
The Recycling Committee needs to make a recommendation at the
August 27, 1991 meeting for the City Council to act on at the
September 9, 1991 meeting.
1
R & W ROLL- OFF SERVICE, INC.
5525 County Road 50
Carver , MN 55315
N� Phone: 448-7833
August 21 , 1991
m� City of Chanhassen
Jo Ann Olsen
69V Coulter Drive
Chanhassen , MN 55317
Re: Follow up to recycling committee metting concerning the
N� disposal of city compost/brush.
Jo Ann ,
m� After a good deal of thought , R & W would prefer not to get
involved in the colletion of money from city residents for
the disposal of compost and/ or brush. We are however , still
interested in providing the trucking/disposal for your
compost material if a different payment method can be worked
out.
~~ Per my letter to you dated June 7, 1991 , our prices for our
service will remain the same for the remainder of 1991 as
N� follows:
Grass/ Brush Grass/ '
Leaves ONLA Leaves'
N� UNL~ Brush/
��
MIXED
N� 3o cu. yd. $160. 00 41b0.00 $190. 00
20 cu. yd. 4130.00 $130.00 $160.00
N� 10 cu. yd. 4100. 00 $100. 00 $130. 00
Labor to monitor site - $15.00 per hour per employee for the
N� time per iod that the disposal site is open (if needed) .
The maitenance building area, Lake Ann park and the property
N� of Hwy 101 would all be acceptable for our use. However ,
the Hwy 101 property would need some improvement for bad
weather use by both us and residents.
If you have any question , please feel free to call .
Sincerely ,
keit|/ M. Vol [
N� Sales Manager
I
RECYCLING COMMITTEE MINUTES I
AUGUST 6, 1991
Members Present: Victor Hallberg, Carol Droegemueller, Craig
Mertz, Mike Lien, Carver County, Marcus , Carver County,
Keith and Russ from R & W Roll-off and Jo Ann Olsen, Planner. ,
Discussion of a Compost Site
Keith and Russ from R & W Roll-off explained their operation for
collecting yard waste and land spreading it on their site in rural
Minnesota.
Mike Lien then discussed the site at the Minnewashta Regional Park ,
and the reasons for it closing. Carver County has been getting
pressured by the Carver County Park Commission to close the compost
site because it is disturbing people using the Regional Park. He
stated that the use of the drop off site has been going up as the
cost of garbage has gone up. Carver County originally wanted to
compost all of the material on site at the Regional Park but it got
to be too much for them to handle and they then had to haul it to
the Landscape Arboretum. Mike stated that the municipal solid
waste facility should be operating some time in 1993 and it would
collect yard waste but the fee would be anywhere from $85 to $105
a ton.
The Recycling Committee discussed the different options for
providing an alternative composting site and discussed whether or
not a Chanhassen site should be used for haulers, landscapers or
just residents. If the site was going to be funded by the City, it
was commented that it should then be just for residents. The
Recycling Committee reviewed R & W's proposal to provide a drop off
site for composting materials which would be located in Chanhassen
and the material would be taken to their site and land spread in
their rural location.
It was suggested to R & W Roll-off that they present a proposal to
the City to open and run a compost collection site in Chanhassen
and they would be solely responsible for collecting the fees and
maintenance of the site. R & W stated that they would possibly be
interested in such a proposal and would submit a cost estimate and
proposal to the City.
The Recycling Committee decided that they would wait to receive the
proposal back from R & W to see if it is possible and if so, that
this is what the city would do for this fall and at a later date
determine what should be done for the long term solution. It was
discussed that the optimum site for yard waste collection would be
at the Public Works Building since it has a fence with a gate and
lock. It was discussed that if a drop off site is open, it should
be open at least two days during the high season and one day during
the low season.
RECYCLING COMMITTEE MINUTES
AUGUST 27, 1991
Present: Victor Halberg, Carol Droegemueller, Uli Sacchet, Marcus
Zbinden, Jay Johnson, Keith Volk, Jo Ann Olsen
Composting Site: Keith Volk stated that R & W Rolloff did not want
to be responsible for collecting money at the site and therefore
did not change his proposal to reflect that. He stated that all
three sites under consideration would be suitable for the rolloff
' containers, but that some improvements would have to be made to
Bandimere Park.
' The Recycling Committee discussed the dangerous access to Bandimere
Park on Hwy. 101 and felt that it should not be promoted as the
compost site. The Recycling Committee felt Lake Ann Park provided
a safer access and therefore a more suitable site. The Recycling
Committee understood that staff, including the Park and Recreation
Coordinator and the City Manager, recommended against using Lake
Ann Park since it could conflict with existing uses, but wanted
ttheir recommendation passed on to the City Council.
The Recycling Committee then discussed the hours of operation and
' agreed upon Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from
12:00 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The Recycling Committee discussed who would attend the compost
site. Staff stated they were working with the Scouts to see if
they would be interested in attending the site. If the Scouts are
not interested, the City would have to hire attendants.
' The Recycling Committee discussed a fee schedule. It was
determined that the fees should cover the cost to run the compost
' site. The fees of $1/bag of leaves and/or grass clippings and
$2/bundle of brush were established by calculating how many bags
and brush would fit into a 30-ton container.
It was decided that leaves and grass clippings would have to be
debagged by the user and that it would be encouraged that they take
their bags and reuse them. Brush must be no more than 3 '- 4 ' in
' length, no more than 11" in diameter and no more than 50 lbs. The
brush must be tied in a bundle with string or twine (no wire) .
' The Recycling Committee discussed means of payment. Rather than
use booklets or tickets where people would have to make an extra
trip to City Hall, the Recycling Committee decided that cash would
be collected at the site. The site will not be open to commercial
' users.
Promotion of the compost site will be by direct mailing, newspaper
' article, handouts, etc. The goal is to have a compost site open by
September 28, 1991.
' The next recycling meeting is set for September 17, 1991.
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Submitted by Jo Ann Olsen, Senior Planner.