Agenda 02/09/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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THURSDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1998 207 Council next heard a presentation from Joyce Engineering representatives on a conceptual plan for constructing and operating a waste transfer and recycling facility in the event of closure of the City's land fill. Elements of such a facility that were discussed included a transfer and materials recovery facility, a composting facility, and a construction and demolition debris landfill, all to be operated on the site of the current landfill. Mr. Reynolds stated that Joyce had considered a number of scenarios for future waste disposal, but that a waste transfer station continued to hold the most promise as the most cost effective measure. Mr. Jeff Joyce, the City's Landfill Superintendent, stated that staff had reviewed and visited a number of transfer facilities, and had come to believe that this would be a viable and flexible altemative to operating a landfill, although it would be more expensive. Consequently, he stated, it would be essential to reduce the total amount of waste to be shipped, to perhaps one-third of the amount landfilled in current operations. Mayor Crabtree stated his belief that the City was within a foreseeable time of closure of the landfill, and that an alternative must be found soon. Council Member Roop asked what the expected life of the current facility might be, and was told by Ms. McHargue that the facility might be able to continue operations through 2006. Mr. Leon Towamicki, Director of Public Works, stated that as an analogy, if filling the landfill were a golf game the City would be on about the fifteenth hole at this time. He stated that the next budget for the facility should include consideration for changes in operations. Mr. Towarnicki also stated his belief that there might be fifteen to twenty more years of operational life left in the construction/demolition land fill if that capacity were managed and protected. Vice-Mayor Teague asked if rail transport of waste had been considered as an alternative to trucking waste from a transfer station. He was advised that trucking was less expensive and that few landfills take rail-transported waste. Mr. Reynolds pointed out that trucking also provided more flexibility for hauling to the least expensive disposal site as market changes occurred. Mayor Crabtree restated the need to move ahead with a plan for a transfer facility, especially since the City's current landfill site would already be acceptable to the community for such an operation. Vice-Mayor Teague then stated his belief that the coming year's budget should include funds for the remediation activities of purchase of land adjacent to the landfill and installation of bleed-down piping,