Edina honors four decades of environmental health leadership
The Edina City Council held a retreat on March 15 to recognize Solve Wilmont's 40-year career as an Environmental Health Specialist and Recycling Coordinator, celebrating her role in transforming the city's approach to public health, recycling, and water safety.
Wilmont's career with the City of Edina began in the mid-1980s in the Parks and Recreation Department, where she managed swimming lesson registration. She later transitioned to the Health Department, driven by a core belief that "public health isn't meant to harm people—it's really meant to improve their well-being."
During her four decades of service, Wilmont oversaw major expansions to Edina's recycling program. She witnessed the system evolve from small buckets collected weekly at the curb to modern carts on a bi-weekly schedule. Most recently, she championed the city's organics collection program, which she first proposed in 2012 and saw implemented in 2020. "I was part of the very early programs for the recycling system from its expansion to a little bucket down at the curb collected weekly to the cart now that we use every other week and then the most recent expansion was Organics," Wilmont said.
Wilmont also played a key role in improving water safety at public facilities. She served on the Recreation Water Advisory Committee and helped implement new federal water safety regulations (VHSA) following a tragic pool drain incident. As president of the association overseeing implementation, she worked to reduce waterborne illnesses and improve water quality standards across the city's recreational facilities.
Reflecting on her career, Wilmont emphasized the importance of embracing change in municipal operations. "The big thing about change is that it should happen," she said. "It's hard for us to embrace change sometimes because it's comfortable to be where we're at, but if things don't change, I mean every year we age—that's a change we just have to embrace."
The retreat highlighted how Wilmont's willingness to champion new initiatives—from curbside recycling to organics collection to updated water safety protocols—has shaped Edina's environmental and public health landscape over four decades.
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Notable Quotes (4)
Public Health isn't meant to harm people it's really meant to improve their well-being
I was part of the very early programs for the recycling um system from its expansion to a little bucket down at the curb collected weekly to the cart now that we use every other week and then the most recent expansion was Organics
The big thing about change is that it should happen um it's hard for us to embrace change sometimes because it's comfortable to be where we're at uh but man if things don't change I mean every year we age that's a change we just have to embrace right
I was part of the recreation water advisory committee when that new regulation came in pack I was a president of that Association that's one of the areas that I've really embraced in the public health system that we can make some significant changes that can benefit the water quality and the safety for reducing waterborne illnesses
Ordinances & Resolutions (2)
Federal water safety regulations implemented following the Abigail Taylor pool drain incident; Wilmont served as president of the association overseeing implementation.
Initial memo drafted by Wilmont in 2012 proposing organics collection; program was officially initiated in 2020.
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Other Topics from This Document
Recycling Program Expansion
Water Safety and Pool Drain Regulations
Organizational Change Management
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