Title
Solid Waste Management System (B)
This item involves a request for the Commission to discuss the status of the City and County solid waste management partnership moving forward.
Explanation
Since 1989 the City and County have bid residential refuse and recycling collection contracts jointly to reduce cost, saving both agencies millions of dollars compared to bidding separately. As the County was approaching closure of the SW Landfill in Archer, the City Commission supported an option of the county constructing a solid waste transfer facility and taking the waste to a regional solid waste disposal facility.
In 1998 after the County closed the SW Landfill and opened the Leveda Brown Solid Waste Transfer Facility, the city and county entered into an Interlocal Agreement wherein the county agrees to develop and operate facilities to provide cost-effective, environmentally responsible disposal of solid waste; and the City agrees to direct all the waste it has authority over to the county facility. The Interlocal Agreement has been amended to expire December 31, 2018.
Alachua County has an agreement with New River Solid Waste Association for the disposal of all solid waste handled by the Leveda Brown Solid Waste Transfer Facility. This agreement expires December 31, 2018.
The City has an agreement with the County for the processing and sale of the city’s recyclables at their facility, which expires September 30, 2016.
In previous joint City/County Commission discussions there has been agreement that the City/County needed to obtain Flow Control over all solid waste generated in Alachua County. Florida Statutes 403.713 allows for free flow of solid waste unless the local government undertakes a resource recovery from solid waste at which time they can institute a flow control ordinance. Otherwise flow control can be achieved either by contract, economic incentives, or through exclusive collection franchises.
Currently, Alachua County has flow control by contract through Interlocal Agreements with Gainesville and the other municipalities, and through Agreements with private haulers of commercial waste. All of these contracts expire in 2018.
The County is building a resource recovery park as an expansion to the Leveda Brown Solid Waste Transfer Facility. This park will allow outside companies to come in to recover and reuse recycled materials coming out of the Transfer Facility. In addition the County has considered modifying the Transfer Facility into a Mixed Waste Materials Recovery Facility (MWMRF), which would allow them to control all solid waste generated in Alachua County. However, due to a downturn in the market for recyclable commodities they are delaying investment in a MWMRF at this time.
At a Special County Commission meeting held on December 1, 2015, County staff presented the County Commission with several future disposal options, including: 1) negotiating with a publicly or privately owned landfill; 2) establishing a Special District - either through Act of the Legislature or through Interlocal Agreements. The County Commission passed a motion directing County staff to review all of the available options and bring back a report in 90 days. During their discussion there was recognition of Gainesville as a partner that needs to be included in the discussions moving forward.
Fiscal Note
There is no fiscal impact at this time.
Recommendation
The City Commission discuss the solid waste management partnership with Alachua County and provide policy direction as appropriate.