HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/22/2014 - COMMUNITY RECYCLING CENTERDATE:
STAFF:
April 22, 2014
Susie Gordon, Senior Environmental Planner
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Sustainability Director
Ethan Cozzens, Facilities Project Manager
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Community Recycling Center.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to report on progress on building a Community Recycling Center (CRC) in 2013-14,
including an unanticipated budget shortfall that limits construction to Phase 1 of the project, with Phase 2
remaining to be built in future, contingent on budget authorization.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
1. Does City Council have additional questions about the project?
2. Does City Council wish to consider providing additional funding now, in order to build Phase 2 of the
Community Recycling Center?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Fort Collins has expended great effort and resources for three decades toward recycling and waste diversion.
Notable accomplishments include adoption of a model pay-as-you-throw ordinance (1995), a public recycling
drop-off recycling center (2002), advanced public education and outreach programs, and prohibitions on the
disposal of cardboard and electronics in the waste stream, as well as creating best management practices that
have dramatically reduced waste from municipal operations.
In 2011-12, Keep Fort Collins Great funds were used to study designs for an expanded recycling facility that
would further assist the community to divert materials from landfill disposal. The consultants reported that their
estimate was $500,000 would be needed for land acquisition and improvements and another $237,000 would be
needed for capital equipment costs. The resultant Integrated Recycling Facility Feasibility Analysis
(http://www.fcgov.com/recycling/pdf/integrated-recycling-facility-feasibility-analysis.pdf?1329241951) was
reviewed by Council two years ago, and led to a $750,000 allocation being made in the 2013-14 budget to
construct a new (Phase 1 and Phase 2) Community Recycling Center (CRC).
Over 20 properties were evaluated as potential locations for the CRC. Based on its central location, long-term
possibilities for future expansion with a Phase 3 (energy recovery) project, and the option to use a City-owned
property (thereby avoiding land purchase costs), a 7-acre parcel located at East Prospect and Timberline was
selected as the optimal site. With assistance from a civil engineering company, plans for building the new facility
on 3.4 acres of this undeveloped parcel were prepared and submitted. In August 2013, the Project Development
Plan (PDP) was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board. A description and site analysis of this property is
included in Attachment 1.
Costs Over-run
With the final version of the plan completed and approved by the Planning and Zoning Board, full costs to use the
undeveloped Timberline property were then detailed. Staff found that costs were estimated to exceed the
$750,000 budget that had been approved for the CRC by over $1M.
April 22, 2014 Page 2
Other locations that would not be as expensive to develop were reconsidered, but due to high real estate prices in
Fort Collins, none showed promise of real savings compared to using the City property on Timberline. The idea of
postponing construction until after the next BFO was not treated as a viable option, since it would not be clear
whether additional money would necessarily be awarded in the 2015-16 budget. Staff also explored whether a
private entity would be willing to take over the project to build a CRC. Staff was unable to find anyone who
considered the CRC to be a good business investment because the value of the materials that will be collected is
generally low or even negative in value.
Phase 1 Only - Revised Plan
To address the shortfall, staff applied valued engineering, re-drew the plans and scaled the project back to build
Phase 1 within the $750,000 budget. This enables the City to build a drop-off site that will be open to the public by
mid-summer, accepting hard-to-recycle materials (metal items, aggregates such as concrete and asphalt, bulky
corrugated cardboard, wood products and yard debris, and separated glass) for a fee.
The plan is designed to accommodate construction of Phase 2 on the same parcel of ground at a future date, in
combination with Phase 1.
To help augment the budget, an application ($68,000) was submitted to the state RREO grant, which has
received preliminary approval. An exemption was received from the $82,400 Street Expansion fee, which allows
this money to be paid in five years, or when future phases of the project are built, instead of at initial development.
An RFP was released in March for a construction company to do the grading, paving, fencing, and seeding for
Phase 1, with a provision that work may be expanded to construct Phase 2 in the near-term. Development could,
therefore, start by June and be finished by August. A recycling company has submitted an offer to operate and
manage the Phase 1 facility under contract to the City. As written, the scope of work allows the City to contract
the operator to manage a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 facility at some point in the future; staff will be
negotiating this contract in coming weeks.
Benefits of Building Phase 1 Facility in 2014
According to analyses done in 2012, discarded wood and yard waste make up 17,000 tons (12%) of Fort Collins’
waste stream, and nearly 24% of what the community sends to landfills for disposal is generated by construction
and demolition activities, including drywall, lumber, treated wood, rock/concrete, and asphalt shingles. Opening a
recycling center to accept many of these types of materials (excluding drywall and shingles) will provide new ways
for citizens to avoid a trip to the landfill. In particular, the construction industry will have the option of self-hauling
material that is sorted on job sites to be recycled at the CRC.
A CRC will create the convenience of a “one-stop-shop” for recycling a variety of diverse materials, and recover
more materials of value for recycling that currently go to landfills for disposal. The consultants’ 2012 calculations
showed that on an annual basis:
Phase 1 diverts a total of 7,719 tons
Phase 2 diverts a total of 15,438 tons
A future Phase 3 will divert a total of 19,500 tons.
Getting the CRC opened in 2014 delivers on a commitment that was made to the community, with the possibility
of adding to the services as time and resources allow. A BFO offer has been submitted that would pay for
construction of Phase 2. If approved, the City will move more quickly to expand the facility and begin to accept
household hazardous wastes, including antifreeze, batteries, oil, and latex paint (ABOP). Also in Phase 2, the
existing recycling center at Rivendell School will be moved to the Timberline site with an improved design for
recycling bins to be “at grade” and therefore accessible for use by the disabled community.
April 22, 2014 Page 3
Unanticipated Possibility for Additional Funding - Add Phase 2
In March, Council requested information about the possibility of providing additional funding to allow Phase 2 of
the CRC to be built now, instead of waiting until funding may potentially be awarded in 2015 through the BFO
process.
New funding would allow completion of the original project that was proposed in the 2013-14 BFO process, which
helps the City better meet the public’s interests and needs for recycling. Environmental protection will be better
achieved with the establishment of new ABOP collection services. It also enables better response to new
directions set by Council with the recent adoption of Zero Waste goals; while Phase 1 of the community recycling
center will divert 7,719 tons of material from landfill disposal, the combined Phase 1 and 2 facility will divert twice
as much.
A clear benefit of enhancing the construction budget at this stage is that completing both phases together will
save at least $297,135. (Staff notes that this number is highly subject to market conditions and could be higher
depending on economic conditions, contractors’ schedules and labor forces issues in coming years.)
Phase 1
only
Phase 2
only
Sum of 1 &
2 separately
Combined
Phases 1 & 2
Difference
Design Services -
Electrical Design
$3,000 $4,500 $7,500 $4,500 $3,000
Design Services -
Structural
$5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $0
Engineering Services-
Civil
$75,400 $20,000 $95,400 $81,400 $14,000
Operations/Project
Manager Services
$60,000 $30,000 $90,000 $90,000 $0
Surveying Services,
including Contractor
Materials testing $10,300 $6,000 $16,300 $13,500 $2,800
Art in Public Places $7,500 $13,000 $20,500 $18,000 $2,500
Building Permits and
Dev Fees
$47,798 $117,478 $165,276 $172,605 -$7,329
Other Professional and
Tech Services
Total Indirect $203,998 $195,978 $399,976 $385,005 $14,971
Construction Cost $430,798 $955,796 $1,386,594 $1,176,458 $210,136
20% contingency $116,160 $221,159 $337,319 $265,292 $72,027
Total Direct $546,958 $1,176,955 $1,723,913 $1,441,749 $282,164
Project Total Budget $750,956 $1,372,933 $2,123,889 $1,826,754 $297,135
In summary:
1. If Phase 1 is completed first, as currently planned, the cost is anticipated to be $750,956.
2. If Phase 2 is completed at a later date, staff estimates it will cost a total of $1,372,933.
3. Therefore, if construction occurs at two separate times, total costs are calculated to be $2,123,889.
4. If Phase 1 and Phase 2 are constructed at the same time, the total cost is $1,826,75 (this would necessitate
$1.08M to be added to the budget for the Community Recycling Center).
April 22, 2014 Page 4
Other Benefits of Combining Phase 1 and 2 in 2014 Construction Project
1. Combining both phases prevents “lost investment” from work that will need to be reconstructed when Phase 2
is built, including: removing/repaving concrete and asphalt surfaces, reconfiguring the fence, and re-
contouring stormwater detention.
2. Greater efficiency and use of staff time result from combining both phases and gets the project done at once
instead of spreading assignments over two different years.
3. Avoided traffic impacts and environmental disturbance from conducting entire construction project at once
instead of splitting it into two separate phases.
a. Gets project done before Timberline Road expansion project begins in 2015-16
4. Savings in rent of $16,500/year at Rivendell Recycling Center once we move the current drop-off facility to the
new community recycling center as part of Phase 2.
5. Achieves faster public recognition and awareness of the facility and therefore faster rate of adaption/usage for
diverting hard-to-recycle materials from landfill disposal.
6. Prevents need to temporarily close Phase 1 facility when construction of Phase 2 occurs.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Phase 1 Construction Update (PDF)
2. Triple Bottom Line Analysis (PDF)
3. Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
Environmental Services
215 N. Mason
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221-6600
970.224-6177 - fax
fcgov.com
City Council Worksession
April 22, 2014
Attachment 1
Community Recycling Center – Phase 1 Construction Update
Summary of Construction Details and Site Plans
Phase 1 Construction (only)
- 400 linear feet of new sidewalk, curb & gutter along Timberline
- New landscaping berm between Timberline and the site
- 51 new plants and trees for Phase 1
- Site work on 3 acres
- Detention pond to accommodate 3-acre site
- Erosion control
- 2,800 square yards of asphalt paving
- Relocation of 21 existing trees
- 640 linear feet of 6’ chain link fence
- 2 – 28’ swing gate
- $204,000 in soft costs alone
Phase 2 Construction (additional elements)
- Multiple landscaping berms between Timberline and the site
- 57 additional new plants and trees for Phase 2
- Site work to accommodate 7-acre site
- Detention pond to accommodate 7-acre site
- 6,700 square yards of asphalt paving
- 120 cubic yards of concrete paving
- 230 linear feet of new retaining wall
o ADA accessible recycling bins
o Structural steel platforms to access recycling bins
- New electrical for site
o Power for compactors
o New electrical panel
Lighting for site (site photometric , 10 new lights, light bases and poles)
- 240 linear feet of chain link fence
- 2 - 28’ swing gate
- $181,000 in soft costs alone
ATTACHMENT 1
2
Phase 1 Construction – Community Recycling Center
3
Phase 2 Construction – Community Recycling Center
Project/Decision: Community Recycling Center – Phase 1 Construction Update Evaluated by: Susie Gordon (Environmental Services), Beth Rosen (Social Sustainability)
SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL
Workforce Community
Strengths
Materials removed from the waste
stream and repurposed as products or
goods create revenue and jobs.
More jobs are associated with locally
handling materials for recycling or re-use
when compared to the far fewer number
of jobs created by landfill disposal.
Phase 1 of CRC is anticipated to create
1-3 new jobs for managing the site and
transporting materials to processing
destinations by truck. Subsequent
phases will create additional new jobs.
The CRC will create new options for
members of the construction industry to
bring recyclables from jobs sites, thereby
enabling greater levels of compliance
with City building code requirements.
Strengths
By increasing options for yard debris to be
removed from the waste stream and applied
to composting, more local farming and
home gardening projects using compost as
a soil amendment are able to provide
nutritious fruit and vegetables for
consumption.
Construction of the CRC will provide
citizens with more convenient and
accessible recycling services for a wider
variety of recyclables.
With relocation of Riverside Recycling
Center over to the Timberline site (Phase 2)
there will be at-grade access to recycling
bins, which are currently inaccessible to
disabled patrons at the Riverside facility due
to stairways that must be climbed.
Strengths
The materials landfilled by the Fort Collins community
each year are worth $6.5 M in value. The addition of a
community recycling facility that accepts more types of
materials that are currently “hard to recycle” means
that more commodities will be diverted from landfills.
New revenues from sales of commodities diverted
from landfill disposal will stimulate the economy and
additional jobs will be created that provide local
employment.
The community’s investment to replace aging landfills
will be postponed or avoided through waste diversion
efforts (estimated to range from $20-85M per site).
Potential for several more new “green” jobs at the
Community Recycling Center.
Relocation of the Rivendell Recycling Center to the
Timberline facility in Phase 2 will save the City $16,000
in rent currently paid to Rivendell School.
Strengths
The ability to recover forest products, plastics,
and metals at the CRC and put them to
New jobs will be low-to-medium pay
scale, not necessarily competitive with
higher paying jobs.
Education must be continuously reinforced
so people understand differences in grades
of materials that are collected for recycling
at the CRC and the critical role of recyclers
in preparing materials properly; this
“learning curve” normally takes extra time
and effort on the part of facility managers
and operators.
New services to drop-off “hard-to-recycle”
materials will be charged a fee, which may
be difficult for some people to understand
(some think all recycling should be free),
and which may not be affordable for low-
income residents.
The cost to build Phase 1 of the Community Recycling
Facility is $751,000 and the cost to build Phase 2 of
the CRC is estimated to be up to $1.4 M. There is no
guarantee that funding will be awarded in the 2015-16
budget for Phase 2 construction.
Colorado’s low cost for landfilling, at $18/ton of trash
(compared to $60-100 in other parts of the country),
makes it difficult to justify costs of some recycling
efforts.
The cost to be set for a “gate fee” to drop off
recyclables at the new CRC has not been finalized,
pending further discussions with a private operator that
has bid on the work; costs may not be easy to
establish at initial stages of operations and may be
higher than originally calculated by consultants
($3.75/yard).
The operator’s bid on the CRC is under negotiation
and there are still several “unknowns”/variables that
will influence final decisions, such as how much usage
the facility experiences (which is difficult to predict).
The decision by the City to achieve greater composting
levels by accepting yard debris and wood at the CRC
is perceived as a business threat by a private sector
interest.
The CRC is a collection site where materials
will be aggregated for delivery to processing
facilities; therefore, it may be perceived as
contributing to increased transport costs and
impacts compared to simply making a short
trip to local landfills for permanent disposal.
Opportunities
Work with local technical schools and
community colleges to train new workers
for waste diversion, recycling, and waste-
to-clean-energy programs.
Private companies and businesses that
bring materials to the CRC for recycling
will find new approaches to collecting
job-site discards and transporting
materials; potentially this represents a
“niche” for salvagers and recycling
specialists, especially in the construction
industry.
Company), where the glass will be made into new
glass bottles.
The CRC enables the City to develop partnerships,
such as working with local breweries on glass bottle
re-use or re-manufacturing, and with Colorado State
University on pilot waste-to-clean-energy programs.
Collaboration and partnership with the Colorado Clean
Energy Cluster or like-kind businesses in a
demonstration project, similar to Fort ZED.
Being known as a leader in sustainability enables Fort
Collins to attract more green businesses and start-ups.
The future potential of the CRC to develop into a
Resource Recovery Park creates opportunities to
house and co-sponsor cutting edge technology for
recovering more value from waste (including clean
energy) and puts us on a par with some of the most-
progressive and entrepreneurial communities in the
country.
environmental impacts.
Having a greater amount and variety of
commodities collected and available locally
allows for more local manufacturing to take
place, thereby reducing dependency on
supplies of materials delivered to Fort Collins
from long distances and reducing fuel usage
and associated emissions.
Threats
Increased involvement by city
government in the flow of materials in the
waste stream could displace local
entrepreneurship.
Threats
Costs are not finalized for the “gate fee” to
be charged for bringing hard-to-recycle
materials to the CRC; initially, they may be
higher than originally estimated and
dissuade people from patronizing the facility
for recycling.
Threats
Risks are associated with assuming how/where the
flow of waste materials will ultimately be established.
By creating additional choices for recyclers for where
to take materials such as yard debris, local companies
may suffer declining levels of drop-off business.
It is hard to accurately estimate the amount and type of
materials that will be delivered to the site.
Threats
Recyclables are commodities and their value
fluctuates as does the value of all
commodities. During times of low commodity
value, running recycling centers can be more
challenging and potentially lead to closures.
Notes:
1
Community Recycling Center
Update
Fort Collins City Council Worksession
April 22, 2014
Susie Gordon, Sr. Environmental Planner
Attachment 3
2
Background
Early 1990’s thru 2010 – programs, ordinances, policies
developed to promote waste reduction and recycling
March 2012 –Integrated Recycling Facility Feasibility
Analysis review (worksession)
November 2012 – Budget Appropriation $750,000 for
Phase 1 and Phase 2 design
February-August 2013 – Finalized plan; neighborhood
meeting; Planning & Zoning Board approval in August
August-November 2013 – scaled back plan to fit budget
3
Current Status
Budget ($750,000) covers Phase 1 construction
• May / June construction; RFP closed this week
• Negotiating now with operator to manage site
• Target opening to public August / September
• Budget proposal to construct Phase 2 in 2015
– Modular design adds on to Phase 1
4
Phase 1 Materials Accepted for Recycling
• Scrap metal, both steel and non-ferrous
– window frames, wiring, electric appliances etc.
• Rubble (concrete, rock, brick, asphalt, toilets, tile)
• Wood (dimensional lumber, fencing, etc.)
• Green Waste (yard debris, tree trimmings)
• Electronic Waste
5
Expanded Recycling Center Concept
• Owned and overseen by City on City property
• Operations will be contracted to private sector
• Phases 1, 2, and 3 built over time
– Ultimately provide Resource Recovery Park
functions
• Collect variety of ‘hard-to-recycle’ materials
6
Impacts & Benefits
• Help reach Zero Waste diversion goals
• Help accomplish Climate Action Plan goals for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Close the gaps in infrastructure for recycling hard-
to-recycle materials
• Respond to citizens’ desire to divert more of the
waste stream from landfills
• Keep valuable commodities out of waste stream
7
22 Sites Originally Considered
8
Selected Location Timberline Road south
of East Prospect
• City owned, avoids cost of purchasing land
• Large size (7.0 acres) for future expansion
• Industrial zone, compatible land use
• Not visible from any residential areas
– Landscaping design for good aesthetic “fit”
• Centrally located
9
Timberline Property Location
North
10
Overall Development Parcel Owned by City
skendall@fcgov.com
North
11
Conceptual Rendering
Timberline Road
Electric Substation
12
Phase 1 - Site Plan
13
Combined Phase 1 & 2 - Site Plan
14
Phase 2 Opportunities
• Move existing “Rivendell” Drop-off to new site
– Creates convenient one-stop-shop
– Saves $16,000 annually (rent at current site)
• Accept broader range of materials, including:
– Motor oil and anti-freeze, latex paint, batteries
• More volume; Phase 1 facility up to 7,719 ton/year
– Phase 2 will accept up to 15,438 ton/year
• If financed now, saves money compared to
building in 2 stages
15
Phase 2 Option: 2014 Construction
Phase 1 completed first will cost $751,000
Phase 2 built later estimated to cost $1,373,000
Therefore, if construction occurs at two separate
times, total costs are calculated to be $2,124,000
Phase 1 &d Phase 2 constructed at the same time
will cost $1,826,754
(Savings of $297,246 to build both)
16
Questions for Council
• Does City Council have additional questions
about the project?
• Does City Council wish to consider providing
additional funding now in order to build Phase 2 of
the Community Recycling Center along with
Phase 1 construction?
Since operations of the site will be by
contract, local business(es) have the
chance to diversify and create new
business opportunities by bidding for and
running the site.
Collecting more materials locally creates
new opportunities for local businesses to
utilize recyclables as manufacturing
“feedstock”.
Opportunities
The development of a large (>3 acre) CRC
provides a location where new, as yet
unplanned/unforeseen, activities can be
staged for specialized recycling projects.
For instance, collection days may be staged
for packaging materials like Styrofoam and
shrink wrap.
More recycling infrastructure will increase
community resilience to catastrophes that
create debris (e.g., fires, floods, and
tornadoes), whereby systems are in place
to safely and expeditiously handle
recyclable materials such as downed tree
branches or flood-damaged wooden
fencing.
Volunteers can help to provide extra
support for on-site activities at the
Community Recycling Center (education,
collection of food donations, special
recycling events, etc.).
Opportunities
New businesses that patronize the CRC have
opportunities to fill niches such as providing
specialized collection services to customers.
Cottage industries that use locally-sourced materials in
manufacturing may be able to buy directly from the
operator of the City’s CRC.
Changes to the way glass is collected (in bulk, source-
separated, at the CRC) will create higher-quality
supplies of glass, of great usefulness to manufacturers
of glass bottles.
If in future the community’s curbside recycling system
is forced to remove glass from the mix, per processing
industry’s specifications, a large collection “bunker” at
the CRC where glass can be aggregated for shipment
to processors will help retain the community’s ability to
recycle source-separated glass (materials remaining in
single-stream recyclables that are collected without
glass will improve in value).
Local breweries will be able to use a glass collection
“bunker” at the CRC that creates more efficiency and
greater recovery rates for glass; aggregated loads will
be taken to Wheat Ridge (Rocky Mountain Bottle
Opportunities
By creating better local infrastructure for
collecting yard trimmings, options for
composting become more feasible, and
compost becomes more widely used as a soil
supplement; landscaping and gardening
efforts are rewarded by increased water
retention and lower irrigation needs, healthier
plants, and less reliance on chemical
fertilizers.
Development of a CRC (and ultimately a
Resource Recovery Park) creates a single
destination for a variety of materials to be sent
for remanufacturing, reuse, composting, and
potentially waste-to-clean-energy, etc. A single
destination will also reduce vehicle emissions.
Local recycling activities help “close the loop”
on commodity materials, better enabling the
US to keep resources from being transported
overseas or to distant plants and reducing fuel
needs.
Reducing waste to local landfills postpones the
need to create new landfills and associated
beneficial use dramatically reduces “upstream”
impacts caused by destructive mining and
logging practices, drilling and resource
extraction; and, industrial production activities
such as chemical treatment and smelting. (For
every ton of goods landfilled, an average of 70
tons of waste was created during the
manufacture of those goods.)
Less energy and water is used when making
goods from recycled materials than when
using virgin materials, as well as less air and
water pollution and solid and hazardous
wastes.
Scarce forest and jungle ecosystems can be
conserved when minerals and elemental
metals that have already been removed by
mining are introduced back into manufacturing.
Greenhouse gas emissions are avoided by
recycling activities; it reduces landfill methane
emissions, as well as energy and non-energy
related emissions from extraction and
transportation of raw materials, from
manufacturing and transportation of products,
and from reduced carbon sequestration.
The Community Recycling Center will accept
materials that were not previously collected for
recycling in Fort Collins, in addition to
increasing the overall amount of materials
recycled by the community.
Limitations Limitations Limitations Limitations
Triple Bottom Line Analysis Map Attachment 2