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Dan the Recycling Man spreads word on Net: The recycling manager for four north metro cities is one of a few city officials with blogs.
Nov 19, 2008 (Star Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Recycling has arrived at a website near you.
Dan the Recycling Man started a weekly blog last month to field questions and share recycling information with residents in the city of Brooklyn Park and three nearby suburbs.
"Hi, I'm Dan the Recycling Man and I'm the recycling guy for the Cities of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope," Dan Ruiz wrote in his first blog entry on Oct. 22. "I am just learning how this blog thing works, but I hope to use it as a way to get information out about recycling."
Ruiz isn't the only city official to try blogging, but not many officials have blogs, said Don Reeder, public affairs manager for the Minnesota League of Cities. He noted Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal has a blog. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak had a short-lived blog in early 2006, but is very active on his Facebook account, said spokesman Jeremy Hanson. Two St. Paul city officials, the directors of safety inspections and of arts and culture policy, have blogs, said spokesman Bob Hume.
So far Ruiz has received two blog e-mail responses, one of which inspired his second blog on how to recycle a barbecue grill (take it to Hennepin County's recycling center in Maple Grove). He also does a monthly TV spot on Brooklyn Park's cable television program.
Ruiz, 36, has managed the four cities' recycling, solid waste and environmental programs for six years. "A lot of it is promotion through the city website," Ruiz said. "It's an avenue for people in tune with online things. They may not see it on TV or in our newsletter."
The three other cities pay a fee to Brooklyn Park for Ruiz's services. The city hired Ruiz in 2002 from Hennepin County's recycling program. He spends about 85 percent of his time monitoring recycling and waste disposal and the rest managing five public works employees for Brooklyn Park.
Ruiz said city communications director Mary Tan talked him into starting a weekly blog.
"Dan's our guinea pig," Tan said.
She said she is trying to increase the city's social marketing through the Web. She noted that City Council Member Jeff Lunde also has a blog and new City Manager Jamie Verbrugge, who had a blog while working for Rosemount, wants to start a video blog. Minneapolis Council Member Cam Gordon also has a blog, city spokesman Hanson said.
The blogging has been fun, Ruiz said, but he gets most resident contacts by telephone.
"I get calls every day asking a lot of the same questions. But there is also some things new," Ruiz said. "If I hear a trend, it gives me an idea." It can be publicized on cable TV or the newsletter, he said, "but the blog is instantaneous."
Jim Adams --612-673-7658
DAN'S BLOG
To read Dan the Recycling Man's blog, go to danrecyclingman.blogspot.com.
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