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~~` - REQUEST FOR ACTION <br />Rimier <br />TO ITEM NUMBER <br />Ma or and Ci Council 8.3 <br />AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY <br />General Business January 17, 2012 Rebecca Haug, Environmental <br /> Administrator <br />ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED By <br />Request to Apply for a Grant to Purchase Big Belly Solar Michael Hecker, Park & Recreation <br />Garbage and Recycling Containers Director <br /> REVIEWED BY <br /> Cal Portner, Ci Administrator <br />ACTION REQUESTED <br />Council motion to approve applying for a grant to purchase Big Belly Solar Garbage and Recycling <br />Containers. <br />BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION <br />Staff has been researching ways to increase recycling throughout the parks in the city without increasing <br />disposal costs. Recently, staff learned about Big Belly Solar Garbage and Recycling Containers. These <br />containers have proven to reduce collection frequency by 80%, freeing up resources, reducing fuel costs, <br />and increasing recycling. <br />Currently, the city contracts with Randy's Environmental Services to collect waste at Lion's Park, Orono <br />Park Softball Complex, and the Youth Athletic Complex. The waste from the other parks throughout the <br />city are collected by city employees and brought to the sites serviced by Randy's. <br />The Big Belly utilizes asolar-powered, enclosed compacting system that holds five times the waste of a <br />conventional system. It also allows park supervisors to monitor when the containers need to be emptied <br />through an on-line management program. Duluth is the only Minnesota city to use this system. <br />The containers have messaging panels for advertising or for the city to use to market the city brand and <br />Energy City designation. This could be another way to show that Elk River is Posve~d by Nature. <br />Sherburne County is providing SCORE grants to public and private entities that are interested in <br />providing programs or services that promote the reduction, reuse, or rerycling of waste. The funding is <br />limited and is distributed on a competitive basis. The grant application is due by 4:30 p.m., on January 27, <br />2012. The containers are eligible for SCORE funds. The grant does require a 25% match which is <br />proposed to come from the Landfill Abatement Fund. <br />The parks that have been identified for stationing these containers are: <br />Youth Athletic Complex (3) <br />Orono Beach and Ball Field (2) <br />• Downtown (2) <br />F®NE~F~ 81° <br />N:\PubGc Bodies\Ciry Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\O1-17-2012\Big Belly.docx ~~' <br />