05-11 Work Session
CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Richfield, Minnesota
City Council Work Session
May 11, 2021
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Regan Gonzalez at 5:31 p.m. virtually via
WebEx.
Council Members Maria Regan Gonzalez, Mayor; Ben Whalen; Mary Supple; Simon
Present: Trautmann; and Sean Hayford Oleary
Staff Present: Katie Rodriguez, City Manager; Amy Markle, Recreation Services Director;
Rachel Lindholm, Sustainability Specialist; Mary Tietjen, City Attorney; Jane
Skov, IT Manager; Blanca Martinez Gavina, Executive Analyst; and Kelly Wynn,
Administrative Assistant.
Item #1 ORGANIZED COLLECTION PROPOSED CONTRACT
Director Markle provided an overview of the item and topics to be discussed.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm presented information on the following:
Waste streams and services;
Increasing education to supply the best services possible;
Pricing for trash and recycling along with organics and yard waste; and
Pricing options for bulky items and electronics along with other extra services.
City Manager Rodriguez emphasized residents can reduce the size of the cart if they begin
utilizing organics.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm then reviewed FAQ’s and other benefits along with timeline.
Mayor Regan Gonzalez thanked Sustainability Specialist Lindholm for the thorough
presentation and the work put into the project.
Council Member Hayford Oleary asked for clarification on recycling and organics frequency
and if a decision and/or vote were needed now.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated no decision would be needed now but will need to be
decided prior to signing the contract.
Council Member Hayford Oleary expressed his support for city wide organics as a base rate
for all households. He then asked about payment methods for residents.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated payment methods are not specified in the contract but
has been discussed with haulers to provide a variety of options.
Council Work Session Minutes -2- May 11, 2021
Council Member Hayford Oleary asked about yard waste fees for November if there were a
change in haulers for residents as well as personal pick up fees.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated cart replacement is important to haulers and they
have guidelines. Payments would be figured out so residents don’t double pay or miss out on any
pick-ups of yard waste.
Council Member Supple thanked staff for being thorough in negotiations. She then asked
about walk up service and how residents qualify.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated details are still being working out as are opting out
options but there will be an application process.
Council Member Supple asked about assistance to residents on limited incomes.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated there are no current services for solid waste fees.
Staff is doing everything possible to make it affordable and will continue to look into options.
Council Member Trautmann thanked Sustainability Specialist Lindholm for her extraordinary
work and negotiations. He asked how the city will hold haulers accountable if they were to become
complacent.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated the power of organized collection offers items laid out
in the contract to protect residents and provide better communication along with set standards.
Council Member Trautmann asked about the process other cities have gone through and if
Richfield will be able to avoid any potential issues.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated the Richfield process has gone immensely smoother
than expected which was in part to researching other cities and asking questions.
Council Member Whalen expressed excitement to see very specific requirements in the
contract that pertain to the quality of services. He spoke of concerns from residents when it comes to
poor service and asked when the city would get involved.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated it is not entirely defined in procedure. However, the
city will be able to assist with issues unlike when services are personally contracted with residents,
the city has no authority.
Council Member Whalen spoke of how helpful it is to see the pricing in table format. He then
asked about the 3% increase.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated the difficulty in determining totals as some parts of
the bill are not subject to escalators. The organics and yard waste portions are dealt with differently as
they are much cheaper to dispose of, which will be clarified in the finalized contract.
Mayor Regan Gonzalez thanked staff for their tremendous research and negotiations. She
also encouraged staff to reach out to the disability community if there are remaining questions.
Council Member Whalen asked about a communication plan.
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm stated there has been discussion efforts getting word out
regarding the May 20 public hearing as staff would like to hear from residents. She also spoke of
notices going out on social media and the newspaper.
Council Work Session Minutes -3-May 11, 2021
Director Markle added the FAQs are on the city website and encouraged residents to take a
look and contact herself or Sustainability Specialist Lindholm with questions.
ADJOURNMENT
The work session was adjourned by unanimous consent at 6:57 p.m.
Date Approved: May 25, 2021
Maria Regan Gonzalez
Mayor
Kelly Wynn Katie Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant City Manager