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10-15-2014 CSMCREEKSIDE RENEWABLES ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES City Center October 15, 2014 - 4:30 p.m. Members Present: Brandon Fraser, Sandra Kaufman, Kurt Hjerpe, Bob Anderson and Nathan Winter Members Absent: Gary Forcier Others Present: Andy Kosek and Becky Kobow The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. 1. Minutes Motion by Fraser, second by Winter, to approve the minutes from the April 16, 2014, board meeting. Motion carried unanimously. 2. Financials (if available) Andy Kosek noted that the controller was unable to attend the meeting today, therefore there will be no review of financial information. Staff can follow up with any board member if requested. 3. 2014 Season in Review a. Bagged b. Bulk Becky Kobow reviewed sales information for 2014. In bagged sales, Creekside and SplenderGro sales were up, however WonderBlend sales were down. All bagging accounts were up other than the Bachman's account. Overall, there was almost a 10% increase in bagged sales. Kobow reported that all bulk sales were up other than soil. The reduction in the soil sales reflect a large street project in 2013 that was not had in 2014. General discussion was held on how excess material from street projects is used. 4. 2015 Forecast Andy Kosek noted that no changes have been made to the forecast for next year. No new customers have been lost or gained. The same projections for 2014 are set for 2015. Nathan Winter asked if there are any other competitive producers in the area, such as Mississippi Top Soil. Kosek responded that no one in the area can compare with Creekside's volume. 5. Operation/Production Kosek reported that two bagging shifts began September 22, 2014, and will last until next week. There is some screening to complete and some grinding is being done for other communities in the county. Within a couple of weeks, leaf material will begin coming in to the site. 6. Source Separated Program Discussion a. Promoting b. Educational Advertising Kobow explained the residential curbside organics pickup program. This program includes carts being placed at each residence for residents to discard their food wastes, grass clippings, etc. Kobow explained that biodegradable bags are available three times a year for residents to pick up for use. Kobow provided an overview on survey results tabulated in 2012-2013. The results showed that the age group of the users is mainly 41-60 years of age and most users like updates about the availability of the bags received through their water bill. The contamination rate in this program has increased over the years. General discussion was held on the best methods to get information out to residents regarding this program. Brandon Fraser suggested more engaged signage on the organics cart. It was also noted that emails and text messages are a good way to communicate with users. Kosek noted that Waste Management owns the carts so they would need to be contacted for cart maintenance or placing signage on the carts. A suggestion was made that refrigerator magnets are used for other purposes and maybe they could be used for organic cart education. Outreach and lack of education are two things that staff struggle with. The organics program brings in approximately 1000-1500 finished yards per year, however diverts a huge amount of material from the landfill. Nathan Winters suggested that Creekside staff meet with the Master Gardeners group on generating ideas about outreach and education. 7. Miscellaneous Kosek asked for feedback from the board on their opinions of what should be discussed at board meetings. Bob Anderson felt it was important to be updated on long range plans, movement of material and equipment uses. Kosek stated that Creekside is getting out of bulk sales in the metro market. Nathan Winters noted that he likes to receive information regarding financial information, but he likes to be informed of community events and product ideas. It was noted that it is also good for staff to discuss challenges so that the board can provide feedback. Kurt Hjerpe noted that he has observed that much focus is put on volume and maybe that shouldn't be such a large focus of Creekside's operations. Kosek offered out tours to the board for a better understanding of processes. Nathan Winters asked if there is an alternative time that could be considered for the meetings, such as perhaps earlier in the day. Kosek noted he will contact Fraser who had to leave early from the meeting, as well as controller Andy Reid who was not present at the meeting today. The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.