6.1. SR 04-09-2012REQUEST FOR ACTION
TO ITEM NUMBER
Ma or and Ci Council 6.1
AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY
Work Session A ri19, 2012 Cal Portner, Ci Administrator
ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By
Joint Session with the Sherburne County Board of
Commissioners REVIEWED BY
ACTION REQUESTED
Meet jointly with the Sherburne County Board and discuss items of mutual interest.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Elk River Ciry Council and Sherburne County Board last met in a joint session on August 10, 2010.
Participants:
County of Sherburne City of Elk River
Larry Farber, Board Chair, District 1 John Dietz, Mayor
Ewald Peterson, District 2 Nick Zerwas, Ward 1
John Rieble, District 3 Jerry Gumphrey, Ward 2
Felix Schmiesing, District 4 Matt Westgaard, Ward 3
Rachel Leonard, Board Vice Chair, District 5 Paul Motin, Ward 4
The following topic areas have been identified for updates and potential discussion:
1) ERMU Check Presentation for Landfill-to-Gas Project (Mr. Adams)
2) Data Center Progress (NIr. Bensen)
3) Government Center Site Update (Mr. Bensen)
4) Road Projects (Mr. Menter/Mr. Femrite)
5) GRE Location for Household Hazardous Waste (Ms. Haug)
6) Means to Increase Fuel to GRE Plant (Ms. Haug)
7) Potential City/County Collaboration Opportunities
8) Other Items of Mutual Interest
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
Public Works Collaboration with Sherburne County Memo
Means to Increase Fuel to GRE Plant
POi~EI;E® 81'
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ACtloll Motion by Second by Vote
Follow Up
N:\Public Bodies\Ciry Council\Administntor\2012\Ciry County Board Joint Meeting.docx
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Justin Femrite, P.E., City Engineer
DATE: April 9, 2012
SUBJECT: Public Works Collaboration with Sherburne County
This memo has been prepared to identify ways the Elk River Public Works Department is already
successfully collaborating with Sherburne County Public Works Department. This list highlights the
positive working relationship between the two departments and shows our continued commitment
to working together.
1) GIS MaP.ping
Sherburne County continues to maintain the base line work behind our
newly created city GIS mapping application. The Sherburne County staff
updates parcel lines and other layers that are used by our mapping
application. The Elk River Engineering Division works directly with the
Sherburne County GIS staff to obtain these updates. The County GIS staff
also serves as a great resource for our GIS questions and our more advanced
mapping needs. Most recently, the Sherburne County GIS staff assisted the
Engineering Division in getting set up with the proper program to complete
the redistricting mapping project.
2) Pavement Management
We are currently partnered with Sherburne County to have a new pavement
management program developed. Neither Elk River nor Sherburne County
staff was satisfied with the existing program that was being used for
pavement management. The existing programs were too complex and
created much inefficiency in the data collection and reporting procedure. We
are currently working together with RT Vision, to develop atablet/smart
phone based system that will create efficiencies moving forward. By
collaborating on this project we will have a new program that better meets
the needs for both organizations while splitting the costs for system
development. Staff also anticipates that having both the county and city on
the same pavement management program, we can serve as technical
N:\Public Bodies\Ciry Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\0409-2012\49-12 County Collaboration.docx
resources for each other in troubleshooting issues or just answering
questions.
3) Counter Road 77 Turnback
In 2011, we worked with Sherburne County to accept a turnback of County
Road 77/Proctor Road, from County Road 1 to County Road 33. The
County completed a resurfacing improvement project to this segment prior
to the turnback. The turnback benefited the city a couple of ways. First it
allows us to increase our state aid mileage thus increasing the state aid
allocation we receive every year. Secondly, allows the city the opportunity to
review the traffic control, lane striping, and speed limits along the segment in
accordance with our standards to best serve the needs of the residents. It
also gives the city control of the right-of--way along this corridor allowing us
to plan for and provide utility and street network to the north if the gravel
mining area were to be developed.
4) Intersection Enhancements
We have discussed the idea of adding a right turn lane at the intersection of
Proctor Road (CR 1) and TH 10 with Sherburne County. A number of
constraints including limited right-of--way, driveway locations, and the
intersection of 6`~ Street make this turn lane construction challenging. We
are continuing to discuss options to help with the turning movements in this
intersection. Our next step, working with Sherburne County, is to talk with
the adjacent property owners and meet with MNDOT to discuss potential
modifications that could be implemented.
5) Traffic Signal SXstem Inventorv
In 2011, Sherburne County completed a comprehensive traffic signal system
inventory and inspection for all 18 systems within the city. We have since
used this information to complete a needed maintenance and painting
schedule.
6) Public Works Building Expansion
On various occasions Sherburne County staff took the time to show the City
of Elk River staff around their newly constructed Becker Public Works
maintenance facility. This experience assisted during the design process to
better understand which components of the facility should be included or
excluded from our facility. John Mentor, Sherburne County Public Works
Director, also sat in on our interviews of Construction Managers. John's
insight and opinion were helpful due to his experience having just gone
through a similar project in Becker.
Please call with questions.
N:\Public Bodies\City Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\0409-2012\4-9-12 County Collabontion.docx
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Rebecca Haug, Environmental Administrator
DATE: April 9, 2012
SUBJECT: Means to Increase Fuel to GRE Plant
Over the past few years, the volumes of waste being processed at Great River Energy's (GRE) facility have
decreased. It has come to staff's attention that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has
delayed enforcement of MN Statute, 473.848, which requires metropolitan area waste haulers to bring
mixed municipal solid waste (MSS to a resource recovery facility before sending it to a landfill. Staff is
concerned about continued operation with GRE's Elk River Resource Recovery Project and is interested
in discussing options to bring more fuel to the facility.
N:\Public Bodies\City Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\04-09-2012\GRE.docx
A~~
GREAT RIVER. E! ER~Y~
A
IMPACT OF DELAYED ENFORCEMENT OF MN STATUTES, 473.848
The delay could mean the loss of 100 jobs and 30 megawatts of controllable baseload renewable energy.
Further study is not necessary. MN Statutes, section 473.848 requires metropolitan area waste haulers to bring
mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) to a resource recovery facility before sending it to a landfill. Implementing the
2007 law can be accomplished with simple communication tools for haulers, landfills and resource recovery
companies. Waste flow forecasts, email updates, websites, hauler contracts and other tools can be used to ensure
that enforcement is conducted fairly, reasonably, efficiently and with minimal MPCA resources. An
implementation plan also could include input from a roundtable discussion between haulers, landfills and
processing companies.
Resource recovery has the potential to compete with landfilling now and into the future. Great River Energy's
goal is to have our tipping fees at market (i.e., landfill) prices by 2016. We have stable pricing for long-term hauler
contracts through 2024. We have made significant improvements to our resource recovery project. We have
already significantly reduced tipping fees by recycling more and producing higher-value recyclables. We can
continue to operate acost-effective project and possibly expand our separation equipment to recover different
types of materials. For instance, plastic recovery will increase recycling in the metro area and provide a revenue
source. The cost gap between resource recovery and landfilling is getting smaller and will continue to shrink.
Even with significant efficiency improvements, Great River Energy's Elk River Resource Recovery Project is
unable to produce competitively priced electricity at less than full capacity. This valuable resource recovery
option may not be available if the Legislature delays enforcement of MN Statutes, section 473.848. This would
mean the loss of 100 highly skilled, good-paying jobs and 30 MW of controllable, baseload renewable energy.
There is enough waste in the metro area to support an integrated solid waste management system. Great River
Energy's resource recovery facility needs an additional 100,000 tons of MSW per year to operate at capacity.
Currently, more than 2 million tons of non-recycled MSW is generated in the metropolitan area each year. About 1
million tons of MSW is sent to landfills annually. After the state's resource recovery facilities are at capacity,
landfills will receive the remaining material.
If resource recovery facilities close, haulers will have no option other than disposal at monopoly landfills. In this
case, Minnesota will go back to a time when the majority of its waste was managed at the very bottom of the solid
waste management hierarchy and with a marketplace void of competition.
Enforcing MN Statutes, section 473.848 will prolong the life of metro area landfills, ensuring safe and effective
waste management for years to come, and delay the need to site, permit and construct a new metro area
landfill. Efforts to site and construct landfills in or near the metro area have been extremely challenging.
Costs associated with implementing MN Statutes, section 473.848 are manageable and will amount to only
pennies for each household. The consumers' cost to dispose of waste is approximately 80 percent collection and
20 percent disposal. As a result, the additional $20/ton in tipping fees to send MSW to recovery facilities will have
a minimal impact on consumers.
Contact: Stacey Fujii, Great River Energy, 612-309-5404, sfujii@grenergy.com
March 5, 2012
C,reat Ricer Ener~~ • 7'?3QQ EIm Creek Boulevard • Maple Crove, MN 55369-4718 • 7b3-445-5000