02/20/2013 - City Council Public Works CommitteeAGENDA
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013
1:15 P.M.
CITY HALL
CONFERENCE ROOMS 2A &B
I. ADOPT AGENDA
II. REFUSE CONTAINER LOCATION COMPLAINT
III. OTHER BUSINESS
A. SCHEDULE NEXT PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MTG (TO REVIEW
I &I APPEALS)
IV. ADJOURNMENT
Agenda Memo
February 20, 2013 Public Works Subcommittee Meeting
II. TRASH/RECYCLING CONTAINER STORAGE ISSUE
DIRECTION TO BE CONSIDERED: To provide staff with input /direction regarding the
required location for trash/recycling containers.
FACTS:
➢ An Eagan resident has filed a complaint with Code Enforcement regarding the storage of
trash/recycling containers in the street in the Woodgate area.
➢ The City Code requires trash/recycling containers be stored 4' back from the curb (on
trash days). The issue at hand is the steepness of the grade of some driveways and
boulevards in areas of this general neighborhood make level container storage off of the
street surface impractical.
➢ Staff discussed the situation internally and determined the best course of action was to
enforce complaints on properties with level driveways or level boulevards. For
properties with sloped driveways and /or boulevards, letters were sent to those residents
explaining if the slope of their driveway or boulevard is too steep to allow their refuse
container to safely be placed, they may place their can in the street as close as possible to
the driveway curb.
➢ This approach did not garner favor with the complainant. The complainant believes that
enforcement should be the same for all and, further, that he would prefer the City require
that the townhome associations "carve out" portions of the boulevard area where
necessary and require either a concrete pad or flat green space for storage of refuse
containers.
➢ Trash/recycling containers placed in the street restrict year -round street maintenance
operations (i.e. snow plowing, street sweeping, etc.) as well as public function and use of
the roadway (i.e. parking, biking, walking, etc.). The Public Works Department supports
the current City Code standard which requires that trash receptacles be stored at least 4'
back from the curb on trash days.
ATTACHMENTS: (2)
Location Map on page a
12 -04 -12 Staff memo pages through
41� City of Eap ya
To: Jon Hohenstein, Community Development Director
Russ Matthys, City Engineer
Mike Ridley, City Planner
From: Mary Granley, Code Enforcement
Date: December 4, 2012
Subject: Resident's Request for Comment from City Council on
"Carving out areas of the Boulevard to store Refuse Containers"
A complainant made three reports to the City from 2010 to present concerning refuse
containers stored at the curb or within the street during the Wednesday refuse pick up day
in the Walnut Lane, Clover Lane, Hickory Hill, and Woodgate Lane areas.
Code enforcement staff responded, found some violations, but also found that generally
some townhome property owners have difficulty managing refuse container placement
for pick up when the grade of their driveway or the boulevard is too steep to allow the
containers to safely be placed levelly, or due to interference with winter -time snow
storage in the boulevard areas. In addition, staff found that refuse hauler trucks have
mechanical arms that lift the refuse containers for disposal. The hauler requires that
refuse containers be placed as evenly in a row as possible to allow for efficient pick up.
After staff discussion to determine the best course of action within this area, complaints
were enforced on properties with level driveways or level boulevards. For properties
with sloped driveways or boulevards, letters were sent to residents explaining if the slope
of their driveway or boulevard is too steep to allow their refuse can to safely be placed
levelly, they may place their can in the street as close as possible to the driveway curb. In
townhome areas where several refuse containers need to be placed in a row to allow for
mechanical arm pick up, the refuse containers can be placed in the boulevard area if
space does not allow for placement within the driveway. In winter, when the boulevard
area is being used for snow storage, the refuse containers may be placed in the street as
close as possible to the curb.
The complainant has been in contact again with code enforcement staff and states that
enforcement should be the same for all. He wants the City to require that townhomes
"carve out" portions of the boulevard area and require either a concrete pad or flat green
space for storage of refuse containers.
Code enforcement staff has responded with an explanation of why this would be
impractical; cost; interference with utilities; interference with snow storage; interference
with plow operation; interference with on- street parking; necessity for retaining walls in
certain areas; on -going maintenance of the "carved out" areas, to name a few.
The complainant would like his idea reviewed by the council and a response in writing.