Minutes_Resilient Community Advisory Commission (RCAC) 10.05.23Copyrighted
March 4, 2024
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 01.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Minutes and Reports Submitted
SUMMARY: Airport Commission of January 16, 2024; Arts and Cultural Affairs
Commission of December 27, 2023 and January 23, 2024; Cable
Television Commission of August 29, 2023; City Council Proceedings of
February 19, 2024; Historic Preservation Commission of February 15,
2024; Park and Recreation Commission of April 11, 2023; May 9, 2023;
June 13, 2023; August 8, 2023; October 10, 2023; November 14, 2023;
December 12, 2023; January 13, 2024; Resilient Community Advisory
Commission of September 7, 2023; October 5, 2023; November 2,
2023; December 7, 2023; Transit Advisory Board of September 14,
2023; Zoning Board of Adjustment of January 25, 2024; Draft Zoning
Board of Adjustment of February 22, 2024; Proof of Publication for City
Council Proceedings of February 5, 2024.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Type
City Council Proceedings of February 19, 2024
Supporting Documentation
Proof of Publication —February 5, 2024
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec April 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_May 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_June 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec August 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_October 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_November 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_December 2023
Supporting Documentation
Park and Rec_January 2024
Supporting Documentation
RCAC_September 2023
Supporting Documentation
RCAC_October 2023
Supporting Documentation
RCAC_November 2023
Supporting Documentation
RCAC_December 2023
Supporting Documentation
Transit September 2023
Supporting Documentation
Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes Jan 2024
Supporting Documentation
Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes Feb 2024
Supporting Documentation
Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
Arts Commission Minutes December
Arts Commission Minutes —January
Cable TV Commission Minutes
Airport Commission Minutes
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
Supporting Documentation
CITY OF DUBUQUE - COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
GOVERNMENTAL BODY: Resilient Community Advisory Commission (RCAC)
DATE: October 5, 2023
TIME: 5:00 pm
LOCATION: Jule Operations and Training Center (JOTC) Circle Conference Room, 949 Kerper Blvd.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Katharine Connolly, Robin Kennicker, Steven Drahozal, Adam Hoffman, Jake
Kohlhaas, Dean Boles
MEMBERS ABSENT: Sandra Evans, Josh Chamberland, Lalith Jayawickrama
STAFF PRESENT: Gina Bell, Amanda Lewis
Commissioner Kohlhaas called the meeting to order at 5:06 pm.
TEST AGENDA
MINUTES APPROVAL: Kennicker motioned to approve the September minutes. Katherine seconded.
Motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
NEW BUSINESS
1. Sustainable Dubuque Grants Recommendation
Drahozal motioned to approve Sustainable Dubuque Grant Recommendation. Kennicker seconded. Boles
abstained. Motion carried.
2. Solid Waste Agency grant support (from March) —Ken Miller, DMASWA and Jake Jansen, Public
Works
Jake Jensen, Resource Management Supervisor with City of Dubuque. FY22&FY23 Waste Minimization
Reports presented. Worked closely with consultants to obtain data with benchmarking goals from 2037
Imagine Dubuque Plan. Curbside collection is offered to single family homes and buildings of 6 units or
less for trash collection and recycling options. Additionally, have organic collection, which is mainly yard
waste and diversion programs for TVs, appliances, paint, etc. FY23 total customer counts: 20,658
combined uses of single-family homes up to buildings with 6 or less units.
Resource Management Department has three goals:
- Goal #1: Increase the overall waste diversion rate, including recycling, yard waste, and food
scraps.
o FY22 has a 22.87% diversion rate.
o FY23 has a 24.10% diversion rate.
o Landfill Tonnage overtime graph which trended upwards and peaked during 2020-2021
and is decreasing.
Goal #2 Reduce per customer annual waste disposal based on landfilled waste and total annual
waste generation.
o National average waste generation rate per household (2.5 people) per week: 28 pounds
for recycling, 59 pounds for waste
o Dubuque average waste generation rate per household (2.5 people) per week: 7.5
pounds recycling, 23.7 pounds waste.
o Daily per person waste generation rate is 1.85 pounds in Dubuque and 4.8 pounds in
State of Iowa.
Goal #3 Incorporate greenhouse gas reduction initiative into waste minimization planning using
WARM analysis specific to waste diversion efforts. WARM analysis includes:
o Distance to the disposal sites
o Presence of a landfill gas recovery system at the landfill
o Annual precipitation rate
Community engagement, targeting new Dubuque residents, is used to boost waste diversion. Social
media, website views and search tools to determine where materials go, utilized cart sticker campaign
where QR code is linked to the search tool, with a large usage increase from FY22 to FY23.
Routing software investment is a newer tool to email customers with violations, like extra materials,
large items without an appointment, people not having trash out on time, contaminated recycling, etc.
DNR waste characteristic study: DNR measures a load of garbage and sort it out to determine what is the
most that makes up a typical load in the landfill:
• Food waste
• Plastic film
• Textiles and leather
• Mixed recyclable paper
• Compostable paper
About 27% of material going into the landfill in Dubuque is food waste.
Next Steps:
- Develop waste minimization long term plan
- Waste minimization intern (funded for FY24)
- Invest in outreach
- Recycling cart expansion- switching from bins to carts
- Revamp food scrap recycling
- Promote reuse
Question: Are they still looking at ideas of recycling construction materials?
Answer: Don't collect it at curbside collection, but it can possibly be donated and reused via Habitat
Restore.
Question: What is the plan for a waste minimization plan?
Answer: Looking at hiring a consultant to do some of the work and find potential comparisons with other
cities.
Update on environmental Study: Ken Miller, Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency
- Consultant is preparing construction design for drainage around compost site to install the
compost pads
- Part of plan will include permitting assistance and look at what is the capacity for food waste so
the compost turns out okay rather than sludge. Don't want to take in more food waste than can
properly be managed because there will be odor issues.
Question: Will we be able to continue to have a City compost facility?
Answer: Facility will be a permitted site, but not with an unlimited amount of taking in food waste.
Question: Out of roughly 25% of food waste that is going into the landfill, how much of that can be
diverted?
Answer: Facility will be able to take in 200 tons of straight food waste per year because they don't have
enough other materials (yard waste) to mix with it, which would almost double the amount that is
currently taken in (which is 104 tons per year). 25% would be 3,000 tons, but some of it would not be
able to be composted (like meat and dairy. Meat cannot be composted under State of Iowa's regulations
without significant changes to the composting facility).
Question: When will the composting facility be up to date?
Answer: Most likely, next spring.
Composting program is through Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency and is not a City
program. Want to continue discussions about what is the best option for food waste diversion.
3. Public Input related to DMASWA food scrap compost
Paul Schultz: Has concerns about the need to hire people who know how to manage the composting
facility. Met with people who recently moved to Dubuque and people who have concerns about not
being able to compost their food scraps due to a lack of space on their own properties.
Terry Stewart: Wants to understand Why meat can't be composted. Desires to have the City maximize
potential for displacing food waste from the landfill. Has concerns about food scraps going into the
landfill. Coaches people at church to educate people how to properly compost and recycle. Attends
events and has a leave no trace philosophy.
Paul Uzel: Revamp does not mean reduce and would like to see the language changed to increase the
food scrap program. Without food scrap recycling program, many people can't compost at home.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Policy Work— Review ordinances and policies as they relate to Climate Action Plan and
determine subcommittees and where to focus plane height, urban agriculture, and tree canopy.
Reports from Commissioners regarding Climate Action Plan (CAP) activities:
Bell will update City website with current greenhouse gas inventory soon.
Next Steps:
Follow up next meeting about how Commission can support a solid waste plan to maximize waste
reduction and composting.
HOW DID I SHOW UP? COMMISSIONER REPORTS:
Kennicker discussed a tour via the Parks and Rec Commission to discuss park names that are very small
and just have street names attached to the park. Conversations included creative ideas that would fit in
very small parks.
Boles discussed improvement to home improvement loan package. If you are so low income that you
won't ever be able to pay back the loan, it has now turned into a grant.
Jake went to commissioner picnic and movie screening at National Mississippi River Museum.
Motion to adjourn by all.
NEXT MEETING: The next commission meeting will occur on November 2, 2023, at 5pm at the Jule
Operations and Training Center (JOTC) in the Circle Conference Room, 949 Kerper Blvd.
ADJOURNMENT: The Commission adjourned at 6:30pm.
//�Minutes approved by: _
JacA Kohlhaas, Commission Chair
Prepared by: 4x
Amanda Lewis, Climate Action Coordinator