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Maplewood commission staff briefed on volunteer programs, cleanup and trash contract timeline
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Summary
Staff announced upcoming volunteer and outreach events — bluebird monitoring (March 19), spring cleanup (April 25) and Water Fest (May 30) — and reviewed a calendar of commission items including an April 8 hauler briefing and plans to open an RFP for trash/recycling contracts in June ahead of 2027 contract expirations.
City staff briefed the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission on several community programs and the commission’s calendar for the coming months.
Sean Finwall, sustainability coordinator, said the city’s new natural resource coordinator, Caitlin Bergstrom, will host bluebird-monitoring training on March 19 at the Maplewood Nature Center; the free session is intended to recruit and train volunteer citizen scientists.
Staff also highlighted the annual spring cleanup on April 25 at Aldridge Arena, with free shredding and per-vehicle charges for bulky items. Finwall said Ramsey County recycling materials will be distributed to attendees and volunteers, and commissioners were invited to participate.
The commission noted Water Fest — sponsored by the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District — on May 30 at Phelan Lakeside Activity Center and discussed featuring outreach about road salt (sodium) impacts on wetlands and water quality.
On the calendar, Finwall said trash and recycling haulers (Republic Services and as-stated 'Tennis Sanitation') will present annual reports on April 8. He also said the commission aims to review the final climate mitigation plan on May 13 with a quorum present and then send a recommendation to City Council. Staff plans to start a request-for-proposal process for the city’s trash and recycling contracts in June; current contracts are scheduled to end on June 30, 2027.
No votes were taken at tonight’s meeting because a quorum was not present; the commission adjourned at 6:41 p.m.
