Adopt Resolution #14-02-030 to Enter into a Residential Recycling Program Agreement with Anoka County to Receive SCORE Funds for 2014

Each year, Anoka County receives funding from the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board and the State of Minnesota pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 115A.557. The County distributes these funds, known as SCORE funds (Select Committee On Recycling and the Environment) to cities and townships within the county. In 2014, the allocation includes a base of $10,000 plus $5.00 per household. Ramsey’s base allocation for 2014 is $50,670.00.

The funding is intended to help municipalities achieve their recycling goals as established by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners. Ramsey’s recycling goal as established by Anoka County for 2014 is 2,263 tons. The goal is based on 190 pounds per person (single family households, up to four [4] units) and 175 pounds per person for multi-tenant households (five [5] or more units). The City of Ramsey has traditionally used these funds to promote waste reduction, recycling efforts, and awareness of waste reduction within in the community. The funds have been used to offset costs of the spring and fall recycling day events and to fund the recycling coordinator position, which duties are a component of the City Planner.

To receive the SCORE funding, each municipality must enter into an agreement with Anoka County that outlines required components of a municipality’s recycling program. These required components, which Ramsey already complies with, include providing households an opportunity to recycle at least four (4) broad types of materials, a public information program and notifying new residents of the recycling program.

This year, there are optional additional funding allocations for targeted programs including monthly drop-off events (at least eight [8] per year), municipal park/community event recycling, multi-unit/curbside recycling, and enhancement grants. Ramsey is eligible for up to an additional $35,134.00 in targeted program funding ($15,000 for monthly collection events, $6,000 for municipal park/community event recycling, $6,000 for multi-unit/curbside recycling, and $8,134 for program enhancements via grant).

Additional funding for municipal park/community event recycling and for multi-unit/curbside recycling would help to continue diverting recyclable materials from being placed in local landfills.  Staff envisions the additional funding for multi-unit/curbside recycling be utilized to purchase six (6) gallon recycling bins that are ideal for use in apartments as well as to produce targeted marketing/promotional information to increase the recycling rate within multi-unit housing.

The parks recycling program that was implemented in 2013 was a success and resulted in almost one (1) ton of recyclable materials being captured for recycling rather than be placed in local landfills.  Staff would like to utilize the optional funding for municipal park/community event recycling to promote the parks recycling program more, to offset the cost of staff time to empty the recycling carts (done concurrently with the parks trash runs), and to implement a more efficient community event recycling program.

The City will be partnering with ACE Solid Waste again in 2014 to offer monthly collection events, similar to what was offered last year.  The City will continue to coordinate the Spring and Fall Recycling Day events (May and September) and ACE will provide monthly collections for June, July and August.  This provides residents and small businesses more opportunities to properly dispose of materials not generally accepted through the curbside recycling program.  Staff met with ACE Solid Waste to discuss the potential for additional collection events and presently, that does not fit within ACE's business model.  Thus, while there is additional funding available for monthly collection events, we cannot commit to the minimum number of events required.  The City's role in the monthly collection events will continue to be providing the site (Public Works Campus), site set up and take down, and marketing and promotion.  These costs can be absorbed through the City's base SCORE allocation.

Alternative Actions:

Alternative #1.  Enter into the residential recycling agreement for the base allocation of $50,670.00 plus an additional $11,000.00 to focus on municipal parks/community event recycling (for the full allocation of $6,000.00) and multi-unit and curbside recycling opportunities (for a partial allocation of $5,000.00).  Parks and community events are two areas where the City can continue to improve recycling opportunities, which is evident simply by the almost one (1) ton of recyclables recovered in our parks in 2013.  Furthermore, this funding would help target multi-unit/apartment complexes with more recycling information to increase the recovery of recyclable materials.  Both of these areas of focus will assist the City in meeting the 2014 tonnage goal established by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners. 

Alternative #2.  Enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County for only the base allocation of $50,670.00. This would allow the City to continue to promote recycling and waste reduction ideas and coordinating the spring and fall recycling events; however, it would limit the City's ability to pursue new opportunities to increase recycling efforts that would help the City continue to meet its established tonnage goals.

Alternative #3.  Enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County for the base allocation of $50,670.00 plus the full additional funding of $35,134.00 for target programs. Staff would need to explore how the other components (minimum of eight [8] monthly collection events and enhancement grant) could be implemented. While there's likely areas that could be enhanced or new ideas that could be implemented with this funding, Staff would have to research what impact that would have on available staff resources (time).

Alternative #4.  Do not enter into the residential recycling agreement with the County. By not executing this agreement with the County, the City would not receive any SCORE funding for 2014 (a loss of $50,670.00). A portion of the City Planner staff position is funded through this allocation (duties related to managing the recycling program) as are all recycling related activities, including the spring/fall recycling events.

Ramsey's recycling program and related staff time are funded with SCORE funds received from Anoka County annually and recorded under the Recycling Enterprise Fund.