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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/15/2019 - RESOLUTION 2019-010 SUPPORTING THE LARIMER COUNTYAgenda Item 16 Item # 16 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY January 15, 2019 City Council STAFF Honore Depew, Environmental Planner Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer Lucinda Smith, Environmental Sustainability Director Judy Schmidt, Legal SUBJECT Resolution 2019-010 Supporting the Larimer County Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to formally support the new Larimer County Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (the “Master Plan”). Council requested that this item be included at its regular meeting on January 15, 2019. Adopting this Resolution supporting the Master Plan establishes the Council’s support for the next steps laid out in the plan as discussed at three Council work sessions in 2018. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION On December 19, 2018, the Larimer County Planning Commission unanimously approved a Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (Master Plan) that establishes a road-map for creating waste disposal, recycling and waste diversion facilities, fully funded by Larimer County without requiring financial investment from the City of Fort Collins. The Master Plan is the result of a three-year regional collaboration to improve the local waste and recycling system and it provides strategic implementation opportunities for Fort Collins’ Zero Waste goals. Council Councilmembers expressed project support December 11, 2018 work session (Attachment 1) and gave direction to prepare a resolution for Council consideration, January 15, 2019. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS Regional collaboration for solid waste planning, spurred by the Larimer County Landfill nearing capacity (in 2024), has resulted in a Master Plan for infrastructure that will divert significant waste from landfills without capital investment from the City of Fort Collins. Council Finance Committee discussed the project, July 16, 2018. (Attachment 2) BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Natural Resources Advisory Board expressed support for the project in general and for the resolution specifically in a letter to Mayor and City Council Members dated November 28, 2018. (Attachment 3) Agenda Item 16 Item # 16 Page 2 PUBLIC OUTREACH • A Stakeholder Advisory Group met seven times between May 2017 and September 2018 to provide input and review technical and policy information produced by staff. o Over 50 stakeholders were invited to participate from key sectors including: the business community, academia, regional governments, waste haulers and recyclers, boards and commissions, state agencies, and advocacy groups. • Staff met directly with local haulers throughout the project, both individually and as a group, to discuss impacts on their operations. Hauler meetings were held in May, July, and December of 2018. • Staff presented updates to the Local Legislative Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Commerce in January, April, and November of 2018. • Staff solicited targeted feedback from other key stakeholders during the summer of 2018. • Four public meetings in an open house format were held in May of 2018 throughout the County and an informational webpage has been maintained at www.fcgov.com/wasteshed <http://www.fcgov.com/wasteshed>. • Staff engaged with numerous boards and community groups, and they provided feedback throughout the project. ATTACHMENTS 1. Master Plan Work Session Summary, December 11, 2018 (PDF) 2. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes, July 16, 2018 (PDF) 3. Natural Resources Advisory Board Memo, November 28, 2018 (PDF) ATTACHMENT 1 Finance Administration 215 N. Mason 2nd Floor PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6788 970.221.6782 - fax fcgov.com Finance Committee Meeting Minutes 07/16/18 10 am - noon CIC Room - City Hall Council Attendees: Mayor Wade Troxell (via phone), Ross Cunniff, Ken Summers Staff: Darin Atteberry, Mike Beckstead, Kelly DiMartino, Laurie Kadrich, Jackie Thiel, Travis Storin, John Voss, Jennifer Poznanovic, Jennifer Selenske, Victoria Shaw, Honore Depew, John Duval, Joe Wimmer, Andres Gavaldon, Katie Ricketts, Jo Cech, Zack Mozer Others: Kevin Jones (Chamber of Commerce) Jim Burke, Assurance Senior Manager, RSM US LLP Gavin Kaszynski, CFO Associates in Family Medicine Dale Adamy (R1ST.org) Meeting called to order at 10:10 am by Ross Cunniff Minutes approval for the June 18, 2018 Council Finance Committee Meeting. Ken Summers made a motion to approve the minutes and Ross Cunniff seconded the motion. The minutes from the June 18th Council Finance Committee meeting were approved unanimously. A. Audit Results Review Travis Storin, Accounting Director Jim Burke, Assurance Senior Manager, RSM US LLP SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Independent Auditors’ Report on 2017 Financial Statements Independent Auditors’ Report on Compliance for Major Federal Programs EXECUTIVE SUMMARY RSM will be presenting the Report to the City Council. This report covers the audit of the basic financial statements and compliance of the City of Fort Collins for year-end December 31, 2017. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED Staff seeks input on areas of priority or concern, other than those established in this Report to the City Council, for matters of recordkeeping and/or the City’s internal control environment. ATTACHMENT 2 2 Otherwise there are no specific questions to be answered as this is a 2017 year-end report. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Every year the City is required to be audited in compliance with Government Auditing Standards. RSM finalized its financial statement audit and compliance report on June 19, 2018 and the firm is required to report the results of the audit to those charged with governance. There were no findings identified related to Federal grants in the Compliance Report. Financial misstatements identified by the auditors that were deemed immaterial for adjustment and control deficiencies identified by the auditors can be found in the Report to the City Council, Exhibit A. Staff will provide a written response to the audit findings and misstatements at the October Council Finance Committee meeting. Jim Burke, Assurance Senior Manager, RSM US LLP; CAFR review - no significant issues during audit Internal Control item wasn’t required to be in writing, but the Finance team requested it For reference; Material Weakness is the most serious Significant Deficiency should be communicated in writing Control Deficiency can be put in writing at their request - reconciling cash accounts /credit card receipts Mike Beckstead; this is the cleanest audit we have had in my tenure -the last 7 years - we have seen improvement year over year - we asked them to document this in writing as we want to be exceptionally transparent. Ken Summers; status of pages 3-5 - have these adjustments been made? Do they have a significant impact? Net position at the end of the fiscal year Travis Storin; they are past adjustments which were not booked - on page 4 at the bottom - $1M -this is primarily due to the policy which has been to not record capitalized interest on ongoing capital projects - would still be considered a non-material amount to the CAFR Ken Summer; it is helpful to have that understanding - net position - no issues Travis Storin; we looked at this in peer cities and we have deliberately adopted as a matter of administrative convenience as it would be quite time consuming and doesn’t have an impact on our liquidity. This is very common among cities - GASB is working on a statement which should be coming out soon to reflect what everyone is already doing. Ross Cunniff; congratulations to the team on the cleanest audit in 5 years - keep it going – a great job for the community taxpayers. 3 Mike Beckstead; the team has worked hard to resolve / clean up previous issues. B. 2017 Fund Balance Review Travis Storin, Accounting Director John Voss, Controller SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION: Status of Fund Balances and Working Capital EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The attached presentation gives a status of fund balances and working capital. Fund balances are primarily considered for funding one-time offers during the Budgeting for Outcomes process. To a lesser extent, available monies are also used to fund supplemental appropriations between BFO cycles. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED None, this is an update for Council Finance Committee. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION To aid in answering the question of what funding is available to support emerging issues and initiatives in the next budget cycle. In each fund the balances are shown vertically by the accounting classifications. The amounts are then additionally categorized into Appropriated, Available with Constraints, and Available for Nearly Any Purpose. Appropriated, Minimum Policy or Scheduled is comprised of minimum fund balances established by policy, funds from the 2017 balance that have been appropriated in 2018 and amounts for projects specifically identified by voters. An example of the later is Community Capital Improvements Plan (aka BOB 2.0). Available with Constraints are those balances available for appropriation but within defined constraints. An example is 4th of July donations. They are restricted for that purpose, but still available for appropriation. Available for Nearly Any Purpose are balances that are available for appropriation at the discretion of the City Council. 4 5 6 7 Ken Summers; is the Southridge Golf Irrigation an upgrade or repairs? Mike Beckstead; piece of a replacement project which is estimated in the $2M range - Collindale and Southridge Golf Courses both need to be replaced. They have some debt service that retires in 2020 which will give them capacity to borrow funds for that project. Darin Atteberry; we inherited Southridge - we took over that facility and it has been a challenge from a facilities standpoint. John Voss; Affordable Housing Land Bank from .3 to 1.3M due to a property we sold for approximately $1M. We got cash in the $900K range which we added to the Affordable Housing Lane Bank. Mike Beckstead; 2017 Column - first non-spendable $4.9M - that is non-cash - that is a loan that was made out of the General Fund to the Summit Project. Between the Policy 60-day minimum fund balance and the TABOR emergency fund requirement at state level - $32M reserves are included in the balance. In compliance with our Reserve Policy and the TABOR policy we don’t touch that. 8 In middle of Assigned - Recession Contingency was set that up last year - we have left it there – we have replenished it as we used $1M of that in 2018 – the intent is to go in 2019-2020 with this contingency so if there is a slowdown it can be used a cushion. ACTION: Ross Cunniff; Please change Recession Contingency to Revenue Contingency / Shortfall. 9 KFCG consists of 6 restricted buckets 10 Transportation Fund balance went down by approximately $2M Capital Projects of $1.4M Harmony Road - state gave us $13.5M when we took over maintenance and ownership which we used to get it up to city standards - not legally binding that we can’t use it - $5.7M is mostly interest Darin Atteberry: Harmony was originally built as a rural State Highway - the $13M has helped significantly. Ross Cunniff; have we contemplated ownership transfer on any of the other State Highways? (Mulberry, 392, 287, 14) Laurie Kadrich; there were some brief discussions regarding Prospect Road and interchange but nothing beyond that. Ross Cunniff; I would like to recommend we roll the balance over to the BOB2 Project Fund to continue to build that kind of capital. Mike Beckstead; we set up a separate fund for BOB2 CCIP. It will take Council action to move that over but we can certainly bring that forward. Ross Cunniff; reasoning - BOB 2 projects float up and down and helps maintain our trust with the community, so they know that even the interest is going to be used for the designated purpose. 11 Mike Beckstead; takeaway is that our fund balances are healthy and stable. We have good reserves and are in a good position. Ken Summers; When you look at the Water Funds for example, the available balance is somewhat low compared to what has been available in prior years. What rebuilds the fund balance? Mike Beckstead; for the Water Fund specifically, with the change in Cash in Lieu contributions at the end of 2017 - this year we are about $1.6M under budget in those - that spurred an influx in our 2017 year end fund balance. Beyond that - plant improvement fees coming in, capital projects coming out. L&P has an anticipated rate increase in 2019 and 2020 which will increase operating income and restore the fund balance - it is about as low as we want it to be so it is time to bring it back up. Darin Atteberry; for context, about 15-18 years ago, we were concerned about the deregulation of the electric utility - that L&P reserve was built very intentionally. The Water Fund includes Halligan which won’t be enough because that project has been delayed multiple times. There are stories behind each one of these items. To Ross’ comment - the reserves are appropriate and are intentionally not too high. Ken Summers; pretty heavy commitments for some of the fund balances - addressing needs - keeping infrastructure what it needs to be and make sure those capital projects are on track. Mayor Troxell; good report - thank you 12 C. Regional Wasteshed Project Honore Depew, Environmental Planner, Sustainability Services Jackie Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council reviewed recommendations for new solid waste infrastructure and policy during a May work session and gave direction for staff to draft an intergovernmental agreement (IGA)with Larimer County, which would formalize the recommendations, and requested additional analysis. Council will be discussing the IGA outline and reviewing impact analysis during a work session on August 14. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED 1. Does Council Finance Committee have feedback on the financial aspects of the project? 2. Does Council Finance Committee need additional information as Council moves towards consideration of an Intergovernmental Agreement and ordinance? BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION History of Council Involvement Staff provided updates on this project to City Council at a regular meeting in January 2017, a Futures Committee meeting in April 2017, and at work sessions in January and May of 2018. In addition, Fort Collins City Council is represented on the Policy Advisory Committee of the Wasteshed Coalition by Mayor Troxell and Councilmember Cunniff. Wasteshed Coalition Background Because the Larimer County Landfill is forecast to reach capacity by 2025, staff and elected officials from the Cities of Fort Collins and Loveland, Larimer County, and the Town of Estes Park formed the North Front Range Wasteshed Coalition in 2015 to plan for the future of waste material handling in the region. Recommendations in the Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (SWIMP) are the culmination of more than two years of work by the Coalition. In 2017, Larimer County engaged the consulting firm HDR, Inc. to provide: • detailed reporting of current regional solid waste volumes and future projections • consideration of emerging technologies for resource recovery • triple-bottom line and market analysis of infrastructure options • example agreements and policies to support new facilities Eleven possible solid waste infrastructure options were identified as potential pieces of a long-term waste material management system, once the Larimer County Landfill is closed. Each element has been closely reviewed by the Coalition and will be published in June 2018 as a Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan. Coalition Recommendations 13 Five new facilities were selected for recommendations based on capital costs, timeframe to complete, cost-benefit ratio, and projected tipping fees: Recommended Facilities Capital Cost Tip Fee* Years to Build New County Landfill $11.7M $14 6 Central Transfer Station $15.8M $29 5 Yard Waste Composting Facility $11.8M $38 4 Food Waste Composting Facility $38 2 Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris Processing Facility $13.7M $37 4 *Estimated tip fees in 2017 dollars Locations All of the proposed facilities except a new landfill could be co-located in the undeveloped section of the current Larimer County landfill site on South Taft Hill Rd. A modern, sanitary landfill could be developed on a section of land owned by the County north of Wellington and would predominantly accept trash from the Central Transfer Station (including landfill waste from Fort Collins). The Transfer Station would provide the same or more convenience to customers with a redesigned entry point and traffic control. Capital Cost Most of the capital investment needed for the recommended facilities would come from an existing fund balance Larimer County has accumulated for infrastructure replacement, with the remainder being financed by the County. Because the Solid Waste Division is operated as an enterprise fund, no tax revenue is included in these projections and there is no expectation of municipal financial investment. Facility Construction Timeline One of the primary goals adopted by the Coalition is to have replacement facilities operational before the Larimer County landfill stops accepting waste in 2025. The projected development schedule for the new facilities includes design, permitting, and construction. Supportive Policy: Process Controls The Coalition is recommending several process controls to be implemented throughout the Wasteshed. A solid waste process control is a rule that governs the way waste materials may be collected, handled, or disposed. The recommended process controls are in alignment with adopted goals for increased diversion, are anticipated to drive economic development in the region, and are designed to support the financial viability of new facilities. The proposed process controls are: 1) Flow Control for Construction and Demolition Debris a. All mixed waste from building projects over 1,000sf must be sent to a County-owned processing facility. 14 2) Flow Control for Single-Stream Recyclables a. Residential and business recycling must be sent to a County-owned recycling transfer or recovery facility. 3) Waste Stream Ban on Yard Trimmings a. Green waste such as branches, leaves, and grass clippings must not be sent to landfills. Intergovernmental Agreement To facilitate implementation of the recommended infrastructure and policy, an intergovernmental agreement is needed that would likely include the following elements: • County commits to finance and construct facilities • Municipalities commit to adopt rules for waste handling • Coordinated data collection and education • Formation of an Advisory Board Summary Unprecedented regional collaboration for solid waste planning, spurred by the Larimer County Landfill nearing capacity, has yielded a recommended infrastructure master plan to divert significant waste from landfills without capital investment needed from the City of Fort Collins. To support this project, the role of municipalities in the region is to adopt specific policies that would ensure the economic viability of County-built resource recovery facilities. The proposed facilities are projected to recover as much as 40% of what is currently landfilled in the Wasteshed, delivering useable products back into the regional economy and helping Fort Collins meet its goals for Zero Waste. residents. 15 Discussion / Next Steps; Ken Summers; what is the anticipated life for the new facility? Honore Depew; It will be developed in phases - Phase 1; build out for the first cell 20 years - ample opportunity to expand to over a 100 year life span - the timeline brings these new facilities on line around 2025 Ken Summers; developing other strategies to deal with waste as other technologies arise - how that would impact the new facility? Ross Cunniff; where the $11M of existing equity came from? Honore Depew; there is approximately $40M of existing equity – because the Larimer County Solid Waste Division t is run as an enterprise fund – it is based on tipping fees or the cost of disposal and it has been managed in such a way over the last few decades to accumulate this fund balance. There is money is trash and they have been making money taking waste and burying it in the ground. We have the opportunity to look forward without a resource constraint. Ross Cunniff; the county has had the foresight to look forward and they have been collecting over and above the operational requirements to fund this. Honore Depew; Yes, and it still has some of the lowest tipping fees in the country. Honore Depew; Food Waster Composting - currently grocers send their material to Denver for composting to comply with City Code. Jackie Thiel; the biggest obstacle was regional infrastructure which is the reason we haven’t been handling our local food waste. The new facility will enable us to handle that and gain that efficiency of scale. Honore Depew; The construction and demolition debris processing facility will be the highest caliber in the state - the new facility will be state of the art using the same separation you see used in a single stream facility. Separation mechanism will be dialed in to target materials such as metal, wood and concrete - this is a great desire of the building industry community - currently they are required to have multiple roll off dumpsters on site to separate those readily recyclable materials. This would provide a high level of convenience to be able to consolidate that. 16 Estimated Tipping Fees / per ton $22 per ton - new rate of $30 per ton for trash Resource recovery options are more expensive than burying trash in the ground. Mayor Troxell; where does our waste water and waste energy effort and our investment there - How does that relate to our overall picture as it relates to our wasteshed? 17 Honore Depew: We worked closely with our consultant and the technical advisory committee and our colleagues who operated the waste treatment plant - Drake Water facility has the capacity and could scale up cogeneration of electricity from that however, the key linkage is a pre-processing facility – something that could take raw food waste - maybe de-package it – construction of that plus upgrading the wastewater facility to be able to receive that material in bulk proved to be very expensive compared to the other options – it is still included in the master plan as a Tier 2 option - at this time that option wasn’t recommended by the coalition for the Tier 1 stage. Mayor Troxell; Governance and oversight going forward - the proposal as it stands right now - operating the go forward facility the same way we have always done that basically Larimer County gives the operator and the municipalities do the policy stuff - there are different levels of our involvement between the cities and the county- I would like more of a shared governance model that comes out of this and I do recognize that the county has the resources - because of that they have tended to make the rules. Honore Depew; reflecting our discussions on this piece - the county is prepared to talk with you on Friday about their approach to developing a governance strategy - they are interested in keeping authority over the operation of this enterprise fund and the assets - however the proposal is for a strong Wasteshed Advisory Board which would be modeled after the Open Space Advisory Board that the county formed and that Councilmember Horak sits on. Some of the roles of that board would have a forum - direct influence on the master plan implementation, performance review of the overall system, policy development and the future design / expansion of wasteshed infrastructure. We would be putting this kind of language into the draft IGA. Mayor Troxell; One thing I would like to suggest as we work on the IGA regarding waste energy - we become more a full partner - Tier 1 and Tier 2 gives the waste energy as a first-class citizen in the agreement between the partners as it related to going forward. Jackie Thiel; we can share that with the county prior to the meeting on Friday - they will want to discuss with the pact about what that language might look like. Mayor Troxell; to make the Council Finance Committee aware, a letter has been drafted that speaks to concerns that Ross and I have as being members of the policy group – the 11th hour introduction of a 3rd party to do the landfill really needs to reassess all options that brought us to this point in the first place. Ross Cunniff; I am almost done reviewing the letter and I have some minor changes from my side. Dovetailing on a couple of your other points; with respect to our bio digestor at the waste water plant currently we say that people can put nonfat waste down their garbage disposals - our current recommendation - want to make sure that no flow control items that would come up in the IGA would preclude that recommendation. 18 And on the governance side - the day to day operations and those costs - I understand that the county wants to have a high level of control, but my big concern is the policy and future flow control, future mandates on the city. We need to have an active voice in yes or no that is binding in some degree on policy requirements that would be placed on the municipalities within the county. Honore Depew; in consulting with the legal teams, we have learned that with the Home Rule - the county could not impose these on the cities. Would have to be developed in concert and partnership. Jackie Thiel; thinking of our work session last week with the county around behavioral health. We will connect Todd and Lori as leads for the county in thinking through what are some of these other alternative governance models might look like understanding that we want a greater stake - not just advisory. Darin Atteberry; the importance of our goals and objectives as a city in this area - this is so critical to us moving forward - it would not be good to have our role be of an advisory nature - we should take a position of equal partnership and decision making. (Airport and Open Spaces as examples) Ross Cunniff; what is our ownership stake in the current landfill? Honore Depew; we own 50% of the souterrain underground of the first development based on a 1970 agreement; Fort Collins 50%, Loveland 25% and the County 25%. The county bought a large section of land going down to Trilby which they own outright, and they also own all development above ground The Enterprise (County Enterprise Fund) owns new land - Solid Waste Division of Larimer County. Darin Atteberry; it is very important for the city to maintain an ownership stake but also decision making. Honore Depew; worth noting from staff level - we see 2 pieces that are closely linked but have distinctive oversight roles; 1) Infrastructure Development 2) Policy. In the arrangement that has been developed over the last couple of years. Big new infrastructure that we wouldn’t pay for ourselves gets on line that provides an opportunity for Fort Collins to have more options around policy in the future for collection of organics in particular. This would set us up for that sort of future. Darin Atteberry; transfer stations - have you gotten to the point of talking about one location or multiple locations? Honore Depew; the South Taft Hill Road location is ideal because 75% of the population lives within 15 miles of it. Ross Cunniff; Our current haulers business models are based on transportation to that facility. 19 Ross Cunniff; there is a provision if the new facility is built that Wellington and parts north would be able to take directly to that facility - wrinkle that needs to be figured out with this alternative of private operations. Darin Atteberry; small detail - several years ago the county eliminated Sunday hours due to budget cuts. A transfer station which would require less on-site staffing - the idea of being open on Sunday hours would be a plus from a customer service standpoint. Honore Depew; convenience for greenway drop off on Sunday as well - nontrash part. Ken Summers; I like the aspect where the county pays for it - in terms of the operational aspect of it moving forward the public education piece of it in terms of what Ross was saying in terms of the waste stream - as we look at reduced or zero waste there are some real significant public education needs- people are more than willing to do what they can do if they know what to do. In terms of timeline, the current landfill is scheduled to be at capacity / sunset in 2025 - Can some of these strategies be fast tracked - perhaps the life of the current landfill could be extended if we get some of the other waste diverted? Meeting adjourned at 11:24 am MEMORANDUM NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD DATE: November 28, 2018 TO: Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Nancy DuTeau, Chair, on behalf of the Natural Resources Advisory Board SUBJECT: Regional WasteShed Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan and IGA The Natural Resources Advisory Board is the City’s primary Advisory Board charged with a focus on the City’s solid waste issues. Members of the NRAB have actively participated in stakeholder groups on virtually every solid waste issue for many years. Most recently this includes the corrugated cardboard landfill ban, the Timberline Recycling Center and our extensive participation in the Road to Zero Waste initiative. As we have explored the challenges of these issues we have concluded that the most effective and cost efficient approach to attaining the City’s waste reduction goals and reducing our solid waste carbon footprint is a collaborative regional strategy. NRAB members participated in the initial county wide waste shed planning meeting almost three years ago. When the opportunity to actively engage as members of the Regional Stakeholder Group was provided two NRAB members quickly agreed and became among the most active participants throughout the ten month process. As a result of our members’ participation the NRAB received regular updates from its own members as well as periodic staff updates throughout the planning process. NRAB is impressed with the structure of the planning process, which included leadership of the major municipalities while also giving attention to smaller communities within the County who will be impacted by the collaboration. The structure provided both a Technical Advisory Committee, a Policy Advisory Committee as well as a Stakeholder Advisory group whose input and opinions were given meaningful weight in current recommendations. The entire process was supported by a well informed and capable national consulting team who presented current best practices as well as newer and more cutting-edge strategies. At NRAB Meetings in May, July, and November NRAB was provided with the recommendations and further background which accompany the current submission for the Mayor and Council’s consideration. We recommend adoption of a Resolution in Support of the final Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (SWIMP) and authorizing staff to bring forward an Intergovernmental Agreement with Larimer County that outlines infrastructure and policy commitments between Larimer County and Fort Collins. We also encourage Council to direct staff to draft measures for increasing diversion of construction debris and organic material for future Ordinances. The anticipated IGA would not commit Fort Collins or any municipality other than Larimer County to financial commitments for the significant $58 Million infrastructure investment or for operational costs of the constructed facilities. Larimer County offers its commitment to construct the facilities over a specified period of time, but the IGA would require participating municipalities to provide certain ordinances and/or rules for education, data collection and waste handling that would require waste shed generated materials to utilize those County facilities. In this manner the County would anticipate recovery of its infrastructure investment over a significant number of years. Neither Fort Collins nor any single municipality within the County could provide the infrastructure costs or breadth of anticipated services without a regional strategy. It is an opportunity for Fort Collins residents to obtain much needed services, reduce our solid waste and carbon footprint, move toward our Zero Waste and Climate Action Goals and assist our neighboring communities in doing the same without incurring new municipal debt. The Natural Resources Advisory Board recommends and strongly encourages the Mayor and Council to adopt a Resolution in support of the final Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (SWIMP), authorize staff to move forward with the preparation of an Intergovernmental Agreement and Ordinances consistent with the Regional WasteShed planning recommendations. ATTACHMENT 3 -1- RESOLUTION 2019-010 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SUPPORTING THE LARIMER COUNTY SOLID WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE MASTER PLAN WHEREAS, the appropriate management of solid waste materials is critical to public health and safety, the environmental and the economic well-being of the region, including Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, the Larimer County Landfill is expected to reach capacity and stop accepting waste in 2024; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 2013-111, the Fort Collins City Council established a waste diversion policy with the goal of achieving zero waste for the City (“Zero Waste Goal”) and called for materials management systems that balance public and environmental health, economic impacts, and community goals; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 2014-098, the City Council established and prioritized actions to further its Zero Waste Goal, including fostering regional discussions, partnerships, and systems to manage regional waste streams and facilities; and WHEREAS, the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners convened in early 2016 the North Front Range Wasteshed Policy Group, now referred to as the North Front Range Regional Wasteshed Coalition (the “Coalition”) to provide policy guidance and input into the planning process for regional waste management infrastructure to serve the future needs of North Front Range citizens; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 2016-013, the City Council appointed Mayor Troxell and Councilmember Cunniff to represent the City on the Coalition, which includes representatives of the County, the City, the City of Loveland, and the Town of Estes Park to facilitate regional wasteshed planning; and WHEREAS, the City conducted a Regional Wasteshed Planning Study to provide an overall analysis of existing regional infrastructure and policy for waste management, a needs assessment for the region, and a list of feasible strategies for managing the waste stream upon the anticipated closure of the Larimer County Landfill (the “Phase I Wasteshed Planning Study”); and WHEREAS, the Coalition, under the leadership of a policy committee of elected officials, engaged in a multi-year project to identify and analyze options for regional solid waste infrastructure, utilizing the Phase I Wasteshed Planning Study, and resulting in a final Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan (the “Master Plan”); and WHEREAS, City staff has also participated and continues to actively participate in the technical aspects of regional planning and implementation of the Master Plan; and -2- WHEREAS, the Larimer County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Master Plan on December 19, 2018 that establishes a road-map for creating waste disposal, recycling and waste diversion facilities that would be fully funded by Larimer County without requiring financial investment from the City of Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins, through its appointed officials and staff, continues to work closely with the Coalition and other regional partners to plan for the long-term future of waste disposal and resource recovery in Northern Colorado, to implement the Master Plan; and WHEREAS, the construction of comprehensive regional facilities for resource recovery, as described in the Master Plan, will enable Fort Collins to meet adopted goals for reduced landfilled waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and further enable the City Council to apply strategies that systematically address the flow of waste materials in the community; and WHEREAS, City Plan (policies ENV 15.5 and 15.6) calls for applying a systems-based approach to managing waste materials that puts materials to their highest and best end-use; and WHEREAS, Council desires to acknowledge and support the Master Plan as it is in the best interests of the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Council hereby supports the Master Plan and desires to participate in its implementation. Section 2. That the City Council hereby directs the City Manager to act in support of the proposals within the Master Plan, to include taking the following steps: a. Select and direct staff to continue to participate in the North Front Range Regional Wasteshed Coalition’s Technical Advisory Committee; and b. Develop policies, ordinances, and programs that will help direct waste materials to new facilities, including but not limited to: i. Flow control for construction and demolition debris; ii. Flow control for curbside recyclables; iii. Diversion measures for food scraps and yard trimmings from residential and commercial generators; and c. Solicit stakeholder and community input regarding implementation of new regulations; and d. Present for Council consideration, as soon as practical, those policies, ordinances and programs considered most effective and viable. -3- Section 3. That the City Council hereby directs the City Manager through designated staff to work with Larimer County and other North Front Range Regional Wasteshed Coalition partners to: a. Develop an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) formalizing commitments outlined in the Master Plan for consideration by Council; and b. Present for Council consideration, at a work session, an outline of such an IGA for feedback and refinement. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 15th day of January, A.D. 2019. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk