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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/25/2008 ZOO 0 B A K E R S F I E L D Ken Weir, Chair John W. Stinson, Assistant City Manager Sue Benham For: Alan Tandy, City Manager Irma Carson Rick Kirkwood, Management Assistant AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2008 — 12:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room — Suite 201 City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA The meeting was called to order at 12:10:34 PM 1. ROLL CALL Committee members present: Councilmember Ken Weir, Chair Councilmember Irma Carson Councilmember Sue Benham Staff present: Alan Tandy, City Manager John W. Stinson, Assistant City Manager Rhonda Smiley, Asst. to the City Manager Rick Kirkwood, Management Assistant Nelson Smith, Finance Director Joshua Rudnick, Deputy City Attorney II Raul Rojas, Public Works Director Luda Fishman, Business Manager Kevin Barnes, Solid Waste Director Steve Teglia, Administrative Analyst III Sal Moretti, Solid Waste Superintendent Brad Underwood, Assistant Public Works Director Others present: Greg Sanders, MRC Jacob Panero, MRC Roland Burkert, BARC Dave Baldwin, CRRRI Greg Young, Revive Recycling Candice Villancana, Revive Recycling Joy Steeves, Revive Recycling Jim Verros, CARTS Larry Moxley, Kern Refuse Bernie LeBeau, LeBeau Thelen James Burger, Bakersfield Californian Nancy Ewert, Kern County Waste Management Daphne Harley, Kern County Waste Management AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING Page 2 Monday, August 25, 2008 2. ADOPT JULY 28, 2008 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion regarding the Update on Comprehensive Recycling System Planning — Rojas At the April 28, 2008 Committee meeting, staff was directed to provide the City Council with suggestions on how the City could advance the existing blue cart recycling program beyond its current scope, to include expansion to multi-family and commercial locations. Public Works Director Raul Rojas provided a follow up to recent committee discussions regarding a long-term comprehensive recycling program and whether it would be beneficial for the City to use a material recovery facility (MRF) or use a separate blue cart collection. A request for proposal was sent out for a comprehensive study for future recycling in the City. The RFP deadline is September 26, 2008. Staff hopes to have the bidding process completed and a contract awarded by the October 22, 2008 Council meeting. Moving forward, staff is currently conducting a study on how the City can improve its current recycling program without going to a global program. As part of the study, staff is researching multi-family and commercial recycling, which will take an inventory of sites where recycling containers can be located and estimate the cost for recycling and related refuse fee adjustments. Staff anticipates having this study completed and available for Committee review in December. In addition to the study, staff has prepared a list of suggestions to increase blue cart participation including streamlined billing, possible disincentives for extra trash carts, and phasing of universal blue cart collection in small sections of the City or new developments. Due to past marketing efforts, participation in the existing program has increased by 3,000. This increase is a result of the change in program cost from $6 to $4. To further participation, staff has promoted the program through the Recreation and Parks Guide, mailers and ads. Recycling billing is done on a quarterly basis and there are difficulties getting all of the bills paid. Staff is looking into improving the billing system and possibly incorporating the recycling billing into the tax bill to insure payment. Another issue of concern is customers that have an extra tan cart. Staff proposes either raising the price of the extra tan cart or phasing it out of the program all together. The City currently has $1.5 million in grant money that will expire in November 2009. The City must have the equipment purchased and paid for in order to AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING Page 3 Monday, August 25, 2008 receive the reimbursement on the grant money, or risk losing the grant money altogether. The equipment funded by the grant will handle the existing voluntary program and can be integrated into a broader use, should the blue cart program go completely universal. The City uses short term quotes to obtain temporary buyers for its mixed curbside recyclable. The recyclables are shipped mixed and un-baled to sorting and baling companies in other cities. Since the City did not accept the second grant, the baling functions may be accomplished if the City can fund its own baler, select a sorting contractor to sort the materials and sell them to a buyer who bales the material, or select a sorting contractor which includes baling. Staff is recommending the Committee move forward with an RFP on a sorting facility to use the equipment in order to meet the grant deadline. Committee member Sue Benham asked Mr. Rojas to clarify how the request relates to the decision the City Council made in November 2007 to refrain from applying for the state grant. Mr. Rojas responded that the grant in question was received two years before Council's decision in November 2007. Committee chair Ken Weir asked for an approximate timeframe before implementation of the new sorting facility. Mr. Rojas responded that the new facility should be completed by summer of 2010. Sue Benham made a motion to move forward with staff's recommendation to purchase the sorting equipment through the grant and RFP to procure a service provider. The motion passed was passed by the Committee members. City Manager Tandy asked that the Committee give thought to the concept of phasing out the additional tan cart service or increasing the price of that service. 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS None. 6• ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 12:41:16 P.M. cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council S:\Council committees\2008\08 Budget and Finance\August\August 25 Agenda Summary.doc