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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 03/15/2011 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011 CITY CENTER 5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOM II 6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom, Kathy Nelson, and Ron Case CITY STAFF: Interim City Manager Jay Lotthammer, Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief George Esbensen, Public Works Director Eugene Dietz, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters MPCA STAFF: Jeff Lewis, Doug Day, Peter Tiffany, and Tom Newman Heritage Room H I. FLYING CLOUD LANDFILL UPDATE WITH MPCA Jeff Lewis presented an update to the City Council on the Flying Cloud Landfill. Lewis said the MPCA's Closed Landfill Program(CLP) was created in 1994 as an alternative to the Federal Superfund cleanup program. The CLP currently manages 112 closed landfills, including Flying Cloud Landfill. Lewis reviewed the history of Flying Cloud Landfill, including court proceedings that resulted in the landfill being closed in 1988. He said the gas extraction system was expanded in 1992, and the current cover was completed in 1993. In 1995, BFI and the MPCA entered into a binding agreement in which BFI retained ownership of the 240 acre landfill, maintained gas rights and continued business operations on-site. The MPCA retained long-term care responsibility for the landfill. Lewis said the MPCA began transfer of the Flying Cloud Landfill property (except for the 24-acre parcel on which BFI maintains business operations) and gas rights to the State of Minnesota in 2010. Lewis said the Flying Cloud Landfill was closed quickly, and the cover slopes are inadequate. Differential settling is causing ponding and has disrupted gas collection. Lewis said the MPCA must perform remediation work at the Flying Cloud Landfill in the near future. This will involve peeling back the top layer of soil, consolidating the waste footprint, resloping the cover to facilitate drainage, installing a synthetic cover and new gas extraction system, and seeding of the area with permanent grasses. He estimated this work will take about 12 months to complete. City Council Workshop Minutes March 15, 2011 Page 2 Lewis said the MPCA also needs to address issues at the Hopkins Landfill, which was closed in 1980. It is considered a high risk site because multiple residences are within 90 feet of the waste area. The active gas system is deteriorating and the landfill has a permeable cover. Lewis said MPCA contracted with Wenck Associates in 2010 to evaluate remediation alternatives at the Flying Cloud and Hopkins landfills. Lewis said two acceptable alternatives were identified. The first alternative involves consolidating the waste foot print at both the Flying Cloud and Hopkins sites, installing synthetic covers over each footprint, and installing gas collection systems at each landfill. The estimated cost for this alternative is $20.5 million. The second alternative involves consolidating the waste footprint at Flying Cloud, moving the waste from the Hopkins Landfill to Flying Cloud, and installing a synthetic cover and active gas collection system at Flying Cloud. This alternative will cost about $27.2 million. Although this alternative is more expensive, the MPCA expects to make up the difference in operations and maintenance savings over the long term. Lewis said the MPCA has the authority to consolidate the waste already at the Flying Cloud Landfill, and they have determined this work must be completed in the near future. City Council approval would be required to move the Hopkins waste to Flying Cloud. He said moving the Hopkins waste to Eden Prairie would add two months to the project schedule. Lewis said moving the Hopkins waste to Eden Prairie would free up 37 acres of developable land in Hopkins. He noted that the site is very close to the proposed LRT line. Consolidating the two waste sites would also result in generation of enough gas at Flying Cloud to produce energy. Council Member Case asked whether or not landfill mining is feasible. Lewis said in most cases waste is mixed in with such a large volume of dirt that it is very difficult to extract usable materials. Florida is one of only two states that have mined landfills and it has been very costly. Council Member Nelson asked what toxins and contaminants are in the landfills, and what dangers they might pose when exposed. She also asked about odors. Peter Tiffany said he expects there will be odors from the exposed waste,but it is more of a nuisance issue rather than a health risk. The MPCA will stage the work so that as much work as possible is completed in the winter when odors will be less of a problem. Nelson asked how many truck loads would be involved in moving the Hopkins waste to Flying Cloud. Tiffany said it would require about 115 truck round trips per day for the duration of the project. Nelson asked if there would be odors from the trucks. Tiffany said there would be odors. Council Member Butcher Wickstrom said she was a Council Member in the late 1980s when the landfill controversy took place. She said many people who lived in Eden Prairie at that time still have strong negative feelings about the landfill. Butcher also said City Council Workshop Minutes March 15, 2011 Page 3 dangerous contaminants were found in some wells at that time. She asked what the situation is today. Lewis said contaminants do not exceed drinking water standards. Rosow asked if the MPCA's proposed work would include pulling back waste from the bluffs. Lewis said waste would be pulled back from the boundary, and the bluff would have to be rebuilt. Council Member Case asked why the people of Eden Prairie would want to agree to taking waste from Hopkins Landfill. Lewis said there is no specific benefit to Eden Prairie; however, Flying Cloud Landfill will have to be opened in any case. Council Member Aho asked if there are any alternatives to opening the landfill and doing all of the work at one time. Lewis said one option that was studied involved bringing in fill to build up the slopes; however, this alternative was found to be cost prohibitive. Mayor Tyra-Lukens said she feels this topic requires more discussion. She has many questions she would like to have answered before making any kind of decision. Council Member Case suggested scheduling another workshop on this topic. II. FLOOD PREPARATION UPDATE Mayor Tyra-Lukens asked Fire Chief Esbensen to address this topic during the City Council meeting, since they were running short of time during the Workshop. Council Chamber III. OPEN PODIUM A. John Mallo Mr. Mallo addressed the City Council on concerns he has with equipment use at the woodworking shop at the Senior Center. Mallo also presented some issues he has regarding funding for the Veterans Memorial. Interim City Manager Jay Lotthammer noted that he and the Mayor have scheduled a meeting with Mr. Mallo on Friday to discuss his concerns. Council Member Nelson also offered to attend this meeting. IV. ADJOURNMENT