A new plan to handle multi-unit recycling and eliminate conflicts in city code received consensus from the Coon Rapids City Council at a work session Dec. 11. But before the new ordinance goes to the council for action, it will be presented to the association that represents multi-unit property owners and managers in Coon Rapids for comments.
In July 2017, the council adopted an ordinance requiring all multi-unit buildings with centralized trash/recycling collection to provide at least weekly recycling collection with a one-to-one ratio of trash/recycling containers on the property. But the ordinance was repealed by the council Oct. 17, 2017 following pushback from several multi-unit housing property owners and managers.
That left two city code chapters dealing with the frequency of recycling collection at multi-unit properties in conflict. One states that garbage/recycling be picked up twice a week with an exception that recycling pick up can occur every other week, while the other provides that multi-unit housing with four or more units have weekly recycling.
The council discussed the issue with its Sustainability Commission in September at which time Recycling Coordinator Colleen Sinclair presented a minimum standards option that puts in place a benchmark for multi-unit properties to ensure a modest level of service for residents so recyclables do not end up in the garbage.
“The proposal would allow a majority of the multi-family properties to maintain their current practices and includes increased education efforts,” Sinclair said.
In fact, the proposed minimum standards would be met by 44 of the 58 multi-family properties without any changes; the other 14 would need to change their practices, she said.
Under the proposal, recycling should be present at each trash collection station and containers must be labeled to clearly differentiate between trash and recycling for residents (the city can provide the stickers if needed). In addition, recycling quantity would be set at 10 gallons per unit per week.