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2010-07 CSCJuly 20, 2010 REGULAR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, July 20, 2010, Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave) PRESENT CSC Members Dan Edgerton, Michele Thompson, Greg Mangold, Gerry Charnitz, Arlan Nelson, Sarah Till, Bob Shotwell Planning Commission Rick Jabs, Tom Rublein, Bob Hall, Dan Klitzenberger, Maureen Scaglia, Dennis Schuller, Josh Root Staff Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans Others ABSENT CSC Members Reed Bornholdt, Rodney Schmidt. Joe Springer Council Liaison Fred Wroge Call to Order Charnitz called the joint CSC/PC meeting to order at 7:01 pm. Approval of Minutes Mangold moved, seconded by Nelson, to approve the minutes of the joint PC/CSC and regular June meeting. Approved, ayes all. Staff Reports 4th of July Topitzhofer and Jabs reported on the successful 4th of July event. Recreation Services Topitzhofer reported on the summer playground program, the free summer lunch program, and Frank White’s retirement. Discussion Items Waste Hauling Activity Topitzhofer summarized past CSC and Council discussion regarding the City’s options. Charnitz noted that the report cited garbage trucks as being the hardest vehicles on the road, due to frequency and weight. Thompson cited an article regarding other communities who are considering different options to reduce hauler traffic. Jabs asked what the Council concluded. Topitzhofer said that the agreed with the City Manager’s recommendation to keep hauler options open. Nelson said that the City now has a zoning system, where certain areas are picked up on certain days. Topitzhofer said that, for most people, the cost of the service is probably the bottom line. Charnitz said that, if the City does the negotiating, people will believe that they can get a better price on their own. Mangold said that he raised the issue because 19 trucks going by in one day seemed like too many and thought that putting a cap on the number of haulers in a community may be a solution. Topitzhofer said that he asked Devich if the City would consider limiting the number of hauler licenses; Topitzhofer said that Devich said that he didn’t know if the City would have the legal right. Mangold said that the most important fiscal responsibility may be to protect the roads and other infrastructure, decrease pollution, and possibly lower hauler costs (maybe even with some kind of multi-city cooperative). Charnitz asked if the City issues licenses to haulers. Shotwell said that the customer may not get the best service or price from a hauler if competition is limited; he asked if the Transportation Commission should be involved. Topitzhofer said that the Public Works Director said that Richfield’s roads have a good base and can be maintained well with sealing and overlay. Nelson said that frost heaving is harder on the roads than the vehicles themselves. Topitzhofer said that seasonal weight limits are imposed for that reason, but garbage trucks keep coming all year. Mangold said that different hauler options should be considered to be good stewards of the roads and environment. Shotwell noted that there’s no yard pickup during frost season. Mangold suggested that the CSC recommend a study of the issue at some level to evaluate the options. He said that the study should take into consideration the cost of maintaining our roads; he also said that the multi-city option should be included in the study. The group, by consensus, suggested making a recommendation to the City Manager to initiate such a study. Nelson asked about multiple cities working together. Mangold said that three counties in the state have a joint powers waste management board, so this may be a similar arrangement. He said that it may not be possible for this to be a costly effort, regarding staff time and money. Topitzhofer suggested that the recommendation for a study be summarized in a Council memo, so they could react to the idea and approach it as they wish. Tier-One Skate Park Topitzhofer said that the Skate Park Task Force met on the proposed site at Augsburg Park. He said that the group still felt strongly that the spot near the basketball court at Augsburg is still the first choice, although he wanted the group and the Council to consider another spot in Augsburg Park (just east of the Community Center parking lot). He said that an RFP was prepared that outlines the budget ($70,000) and some general streetscape features (no ramps). Jabs pointed out that the proposed site really doesn’t disrupt activity at the library since the main door and even the windows don’t point at it. Charnitz asked if the RFP should state that the basketball court does not need to be removed and, in fact, would connect with the skate facility. Topitzhofer said that the neighborhood meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 28, at the Community Center. Committee Reports Transportation Commission: Shotwell provided the report. Bike Planning Group: Edgerton provided the report. Veterans Park Planning Group: Topitzhofer provided the report. Honoring All Veterans Memorial: Topitzhofer provided the report. Planning Commission: Jabs provided the report. Arts Commission: Thompson provided the report. DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC. July 20, 2010 Next Meeting Nelson moved, seconded by Shotwell, to cancel the August meeting. Approved, ayes all. Adjournment Till moved, seconded by Mangold, to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:34 pm.