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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8097 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8097 GtypRTEREp November 18, 199 OFF 7 fon)� N Fal e4t v —ti To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject. TRANSFER STATION FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE ,973 The City of Fort Worth has initiated efforts in a number of areas to reduce the amount of municipal solid waste that is disposed in area landfills. Curbside recycling, the "Don't Bag It" program, backyard composting, and a separate yardwaste collection program which is soon to be piloted are all efforts aimed at diverting materials from landfills for beneficial uses. However, even with these kinds of waste reduction and waste diversion programs, landfill capacity that is close to the city is rapidly being depleted and it is not anticipated that any significant amount of landfill capacity will be developed in Tarrant County in the future. Disposal capacity exists outside of Tarrant County, but the costs of transporting waste to these facilities will add significantly to the cost residents and businesses now pay for collection and disposal. A centrally located transfer station in which wastes from collection vehicles would be unloaded and loaded into larger capacity vehicles and trailers designed for highway travel would serve to minimize the additional transportation costs associated with having to use landfills that are located much farther from the city. Transfer stations are not new. They are commonly used throughout the country where it is not economical to use collection crews and equipment to transport wastes to distant disposal sites. The City of Dallas has three such transfer stations which are an integral component of Dallas' solid waste management system. These transfer stations are not only sized to handle residentially generated solid waste, but they are also open to commercial haulers who pay tipping fees. It is proposed that staff solicit proposals for professional services from engineering consulting firms. A firm would then be engaged for a four-phase engineering services contract that would include: Phase I Site Selection Permitting Requirements Economic Feasibility Financing Management and Operation Issues Phase 11 Initiate Permitting Process Design and Site Development Plan Fz vl�S P 01,4- 11- TIE ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER — FORT WORTH,TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8097 F-0 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council November 18, 1997 Page 2 of 2 x Subject: TRANSFER STATION FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Phase III Prepare Construction and Bidding Documents Phase IV Construction Management It is anticipated that staff will be able develop and issue a Request for Proposals for the required services by the end of January 1998. A recommendation for a contract could then be developed and submitted to the City Council for approval by the end of February 1998. It is projected that from the beginning of Phase I through startup of the transfer station at the completion of Phase IV will take minimally twenty-four months. Startup of the transfer station would ideally coincide with startup of new collection contracts and contracts for long-term disposal capacity. The Citizens Advisory Committee that met from regularly from February through September 1995 to develop a Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan identified the development of a transfer station as a way of minimizing future cost increases by enabling the City to use distant landfills for disposal. It was included as one of the recommendations in the Plan. This proposed project was presented to the Governmental Relations Committee during its meeting on November 4, 1997, The committee recommended that it be presented to the full City Council for consideration. Additional information can be provided upon request. &J��a , � Bob Terrell City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS '