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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 1/12/2021 - Memorandum From Darin Atteberry Re: Update On Operations At The Timberline Recycling Center And Recent Closures City Manager’s Office City Hall 300 LaPorte Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6505 970.224.6107 - fax fcgov.com MEMORANDUM DATE: January 6, 2021 TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Darin Atteberry, City Manager RE: Update on Operations at the Timberline Recycling Center and Recent Closures Bottom Line The Timberline Recycling Center (TRC) bin capacity was exceeded over the past two weekends and the TRC had to close for part of each weekend. Looking ahead, staff is working to arrange extra bins and staffing to enable the TRC to remain open. In the event the capacity is still exceeded in the future, communications about closures will be posted 30 minutes before the site is closed. Customers are encouraged to check fcgov.com/trc before visiting the site. Background During and after the holidays, the TRC often sees increased volumes of material. In anticipation of the greater generation of recyclables at the holidays, City staff planned for the bins at the TRC to be emptied as frequently as possible over the last two weeks. Drivers of Recent Closures The site has seen unprecedented usage the past two weeks, and despite additional pickups of materials, usage was still greater than the capacity available. Factors that have contributed: • COVID impacts led to more online shopping and a substantial increase in cardboard compared with past years • The frequency with which the bins could be emptied was limited by the destination for the recyclables, the Larimer County Recycling Center, being closed on holidays and Sundays, and being open shorter hours on Saturdays. • The suspension of the Christmas tree recycling program at various City locations has led to substantial increase in tree recycling at the TRC • Hageman Earth Cycle was closed on Saturdays and will be through January, which is further increasing Christmas tree recycling usage Outreach about the Recent Closures After staff determined the site needed to be closed until bins could be emptied, information about the closures was communicated in the following ways: • Timberline Recycling Center webpage (fcgov.com/trc) • City of Fort Collins Recycling webpage (fcgov.com/recycle) • City’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts • Google Maps listing for the site City Manager’s Office City Hall 300 LaPorte Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6505 970.224.6107 - fax fcgov.com Additionally, for the closure on December 27, 2020, a spotlight was posted on fcgov.com. Signage on the gate onsite at the TRC also stated that the site was temporarily closed and that more information about the closure could be found at fcgov.com/trc. Moving Forward Continued increased usage of the TRC is expected as community members recycle holiday waste, including increased cardboard from COVID-related online shopping. City staff are collaborating cross-departmentally to manage the volume of incoming recyclables and keep the TRC available to the public. The City’s Streets Department has volunteered to place extra bins on site to serve as backup capacity. A plan for additional staffing on the weekends is underway as well. In the event that the site still reaches capacity despite these efforts, the TRC will be closed until bins can be emptied, which is essential for proper material management and public safety. In that case, staff will post the pending closure on fcgov.com/trc at least 30 minutes before closing, as well as through the channels listed above. Staff will be proactively messaging community members to check the TRC webpage (fcgov.com/trc) before visiting the site to verify that it is open. In addition to these short-term measures to respond to the increased COVID- and holiday- related demand, staff is working on a Sustainable TRC long term plan that will enable the TRC to be responsive to changing demand and shifts in recycling markets.