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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20191217 - Utility Committee Recap Utilities Committee Meeting Recap December 17, 2019 5:30 pm City Hall Volunteer Room Present: Councilmembers Joe Balsanek, Tina Folch, and Trevor Lund; City Administrator Dan Wietecha; and Willie Tennis, Greg Tennis, and Stacy Tennis of Tennis Sanitation. Chair Balsanek called the meeting to order at 5:38 pm and noted the agenda included consideration of Tennis Sanitation’s request to increase residential collection rates and planning for an upcoming City Council Workshop on waste abatement. Councilmember Folch asked to also include electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Tennis Sanitation: Tennis Sanitation provided a copy of a December 3 letter from City of Red Wing indicating that tipping fees will increase from $90 per ton to $99 in 2020 and $108 in 2021. They also described the increased market difficulties and expenses associated with recycling. State mandates for recycling do not provide relief. They proposed a monthly increase of $0.80 for solid waste and $0.70 for recycling for a total of $1.50 per month; this equates to $0.35 per week (the frequency of the service) or $4.50 per quarter (the billing frequency). The increase would be applied starting January 2020 and another increase in January 2021. Recognizing that the City Council would not vote on the proposal until early January, Tennis would hold bills from being mailed in late December to January. Councilmember Balsanek had questions about the number of homes served in Hastings, tonnage of solid waste produced, and how we compare to other jurisdictions. Councilmember Folch said that Hastings is doing the right thing and having organized collection, requiring solid waste to go through a processing facility to remove recyclables from the waste stream, reducing heavy trucks on City streets, and economic efficiency. Hastings’ best management practices also help Dakota County toward its state-approved waste management plan. However the additional processing is a higher level of service with additional costs. She distributed handouts about the Dakota County waste management plan. City Administrator Wietecha advised that they investigate options with other haulers and other processing or landfill facilities prior to the end of the current contract. Councilmember Lund advised that information about the proposed increase have a clear message including the reasons for it, its impact, the benefits, and a comparison to other communities. Councilmember Lund made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Balsanek, to recommend the proposed rate increase to the City Council. Motion passed 2-0 with Councilmember Folch abstaining due to her job working with the solid waste facility at City of Red Wing. City Council Workshop: Councilmember Folch repeated her comments about Hastings doing the right thing and having organized collection, requiring solid waste to go through a processing facility to remove recyclables from the waste stream, reducing heavy trucks on City streets, and economic efficiency. Hastings’ best management practices also help Dakota County toward its state-approved waste management plan. However the additional processing is a higher level of service with additional costs. The Committee discussed a primer on the solid waste plan, its goals for reducing waste, and the charges for municipalities that use landfills in the County versus a processing facility. Councilmember Folch suggested the City should negotiate with the County for a credit due to not burdening the limited capacity of the landfills. Electric Vehicles: Councilmember Folch explained that the City had a grant through Xcel Energy a couple years ago which identified four City vehicles suitable for replacement with electric vehicles. She said that information would be informative for the budget process. She said that Xcel will have a second grant for EV charging infrastructure and that the City should look for it in January. Councilmember Folch made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Balsanek, to adjourn the meeting. Motion approved unanimously at 6:52 pm.