11-23-15 Agenda, Packet & Committee Meeting Notice

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,,,, SOUTH A ftic +�•...,1865 ' CITY OF SOUTH BEND PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS May 20, 2015 Mr.Tim Scott President, South Bend Common Council 4th Floor, County-City Building South Bend, IN 46601 Re: Ordinance Amendment to South Bend Municipal Code Chapter 16,Articles 2 and 4, Regarding Provisions for the Removal of Yard Waste from City Furnished Containers Dear President Scott: In 2013, the City amended the yard waste ordinance to prohibit the use of plastic bags that contain yard waste materials. This allowed the City to collect uncontaminated, plastic-free yard waste for processing at the Organic Resources facility for the first time in the City's history. Subsequently,the City has moved approximately 100,000 cubic yards of plastic contaminated material from the Organic Resources facility to the landfill over the past two years to comply with requirements from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. At the same time,the City introduced the voluntary use of 95 gallon yard waste containers furnished by the City as receptacles for yard waste to be collected from residential properties. The City issued yard waste containers are rented annually for$16.00 or about$.50 per week during the months of April through November. Since that time,the City has been reviewing the costs associated with the yard waste removal and has determined that there is a significant cost difference between the collection of yard waste in City furnished containers and the collection in paper bags, residential containers,or non- bagged bundles. It has been determined that it is not economically feasible for the City to continue removing yard waste which is not contained within the City furnished yard waste containers. This ordinance recommends limiting the collection and removal of weekly residential yard waste materials to those placed in City furnished yard waste containers. Residents would have until February 1, 2016 to request a container for an April 1,2016 effective date. After April 1, no yard waste shall be removed from property as a part of the weekly collection unless contained within a City furnished container. However,the City would still have provisions for a one-time per month special pick-up collection of yard waste that would not be limited to the City furnished yard waste containers,and the City would still run its annual Spring and Fall Curbside Re-Leaf programs.