HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-05-14; City Council; 16745; Agreement For Transfer Station/Disposal ServicesCITY OF CARLSBAD -AGENDA BILL
4B# 16,745
CITY MGK- )EPT. CITY MGR
CITYATTY. (\m STATION AND DISPOSAL SERVICES JITG. 5/7/02
DEPT. HD. % m: APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT FOR TRANSFER
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution No. 2002-140 approving Agreement for Transfer Station and
Disposal Services between the City of Carlsbad and Palomar Transfer Station, Inc.
substantially in the form presented, direct the Mayor to execute the appropriate documents in
the form approved by the City Attorney, and direct staff to solicit proposals for solid waste
rate review.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
The Palomar Transfer Station (PTS) has served as the operating center for the City solid
waste collector, Coast Waste Management (CWM) for over twenty years. The Palomar
Transfer Station has also served as a solid waste transfer station for over seven years since
the closing of the San Marcos Landfill. For the past five years, the City of Carlsbad has
leased the Palomar Transfer Station from the County of San Diego and in turn, subleased
the facility to CWM as an operating center and to manage and operate the Transfer Station.
The Palomar Transfer Station was leased to the City as part of an agreement to settle
litigation over solid waste issues. The current County-City lease and the City-CWM sublease
terminate on May 31,2002.
In order to recover from financial losses it experienced with failure of its North County
Recycling Facility in San Marcos, the County sold its landfills to Allied Waste. As part of its
agreement with the County of San Diego for the purchase of its landfills, Allied Waste
acquired a twenty-five year lease, with options for 14 five-year extensions, on the PTS
beginning June 1, 2002, upon expiration of the current City lease. Allied subsequently
assigned its lease to a wholly-owned affiliate company, Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. (PTS,
Inc.)
The City Council, as a matter of prudent planning and based on the difficult
intergovernmental relationships and market uncertainties experienced during early to mid
199Os, established a strategy to maintain the ability to shop the marketplace for the best
solid waste disposal alternatives. The City has evaluated a number of different alternatives
for the disposal of solid waste. The Council feels the best way to do so is to maintain a
viable solid waste transfer function at the Palomar Transfer Station, ideally under the
operation and control of the City. The City’s ability to operate and control the Palomar
Transfer Station, however, is constrained by the County’s lease to PTS, Inc.
The City and PTS, Inc. entered into extensive and protracted negotiations over the Palomar
Transfer Station. As a result of these negotiations, the City and PTS, Inc. have come to an
agreement that will meet the needs of both parties and provide stability and reliability for the
Page 2 of Agenda Bill No. 16,745
pricing of solid waste transfer and disposal services in Carlsbad for the next ten years and
thereafter, and provide the City with the ability to take advantage of marketplace
opportunities.
As a result of this Agreement, PTS, Inc. will assign its entire lease with the County of San
Diego to the City. The City will commit to dispose of all solid waste generated in the City at
the Palomar Transfer Station for ten years for a negotiated fee of $36/ton subject to an
annual CPI adjustment not to exceed 5%. The City shall benefit from a most favored
customer provision, guaranteeing the City the lowest disposal fee at the Palomar Transfer
Station. The City will be guaranteed access to and have first use priority at the Palomar
Transfer Station for solid waste disposal. After ten years, the City will have the right, but not
an obligation, to use the Palomar Transfer Station. The City may use the Palomar Transfer
Station for transfer of waste at a negotiated price, and may dispose of its solid waste at a
landfill of its choice. PTS, Inc. will maintain the right to operate the Palomar Transfer Station
for 25 years in order to realize a return on its $3 million advance lease payment to San Diego
County. PTS, Inc. will be able to market capacity in excess of that guaranteed to the City subject to the capacity limits set by the Conditional Use Permit for the Palomar Transfer
Station. The current permitted capacity of the Palomar Transfer Station is 800 tons per day.
Currently, the Palomar Transfer Station is operating at its permitted capacity of which
approximately 290 tons per day is generated in the City of Carlsbad. After 25 years, the City
will gain complete control of the Palomar Transfer Station lease and the Agreement with
PTS, Inc. will terminate. The Agreement with PTS, Inc. also contemplates the possibility the
City may someday desire to build another transfer station at another location in the City.
Although the City has no current intention to do so, if another transfer station were built
during the term of the Agreement, PTS, Inc. would have certain capacity and operating rights
at such a facility.
The Palomar Transfer Station will continue to serve as an operating center for CWM. PTS,
Inc. and CWM have entered into a sublease that will allow CWM to continue to use the
Palomar Transfer Station for ten years following the effective date of PTS, Inc. lease with the
County. The PTS, Inc. lease with the County that will be assigned to the City will be subject
to this sublease.
The Agreement with PTS, Inc. is very complex in detail, but relatively simple in concept. A
conceptual outline of the Agreement is shown in an exhibit to this agenda bill. The
Agreement is on file in the office of the City Clerk.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The residential household trash rate in Carlsbad is currently $14.52 per month. A portion of
that rate is to pay for disposal of solid waste. Most residential household trash generated in
the City is disposed of at the Palomar Transfer Station.
The City’s franchised solid waste collector, CWM, currently pays $38 per ton to dispose of
solid waste at the Palomar Transfer Station. This Agreement will reduce that cost to $36 per
ton.
Page 3 of Agenda Bill No. 16,745
Although disposal costs will be reduced, the effect on rates charged to customers will need to
be evaluated. The current rate has remained unchanged for five years and operating costs
for CWM have changed, therefore, it is recommended that a rate review by conducted in
order to evaluate the need to change rates to customers.
Adoption of the Agreement will result in nominal cost increases to the City. The City currently
devotes staff resources to solid waste program management. It is anticipated the additional
administrative and inspection duties required as a result of this Agreement will be absorbed
by existing staff. Any additional cost can be funded from the Solid Waste Fund.
Currently, a non-jurisdictional waste processing fee of $2.50 is paid for each ton of trash
generated outside the City, which is disposed of at the Palomar Transfer Station. This waste
processing fee will continue and be collected on all trash disposed of at the Palomar Transfer
Station. The revenue from this fee will continue to be deposited in the Solid Waste Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The establishment of legal relationships among the City and the other parties does not
constitute or propose any physical change to the environment and does not qualify as a
project pursuant to Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and,
therefore, is exempt from environmental review. A Notice of Exemption will be filed by the
Planning Director after Council action. The CUP for the PTS will be subject to the
appropriate level of CEQA review.
EXHIBITS:
1. Conceptual outline of Agreement
2. Resolution No. 2002-140
(Agreement between City of Carlsbad and Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. on file in the
office of the City Clerk)
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RESOLUTION NO. 2002-140
A RESOLUTION OF THE ClTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN AGREEMENT FOR TRANSFER STATION
AND DISPOSAL SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD AND
PALOMAR TRANSFER STATION, INC.
WHEREAS, the State of California through enactment of the California Integrated Waste
Management Act of 1989, has directed all local agencies, to plan for disposal of municipal solid
waste generated in the City and this Agreement will assist the City in meeting these
requirements; and
WHEREAS, the City needs a facility to Accept and Transfer Solid Waste and wishes to
ensure the long-term viability of such a facility by securing capacity at a Transfer Station owned
by others or by owning a Transfer Station itself; and
WHEREAS, the Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. has entered into a certain Palomar
Transfer Station Lease Agreement, with the County of San Diego for the Palomar Tkansfer
Station for a term of (25) years commencing June 1, 2002, with the right to (14) five (5) year
extensions; and
WHEREAS, as of the Effective Date of the Agreement, Palomar Transfer Station, Inc.
shall assign its interest in the County Lease to the City and the City shall become lessee under
the County Lease; and
WHEREAS, Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. has the qualifications and experience to
operate the Palomar Transfer Station and can do so in a manner and on terms contemplated
herein; and
WHEREAS, the City needs to secure Disposal capacity at one or more landfills to serve
as the place of safe, legal, and permitted Disposal for Solid Waste that is not otherwise Diverted
through source reduction, reuse, or recycling efforts; and
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WHEREAS, Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. andor its Affiliates are the owners and
operators of several landfill sites in the County' of San Diego that can fulfill the City's needs
with regards to securing Disposal capacity as provided herein; and
WHEREAS, the City has the right to secure the services herein from Palomar Transfer
Station, Inc. through negotiations and has the authority to enter into this agreement; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to engage Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. to. provide the
services specified within this Agreement, in accordance with the terms and conditions negotiated
between the Parties and documented in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad,
California, as follows:
1. That the preparation of an Agreement for Transfer Station and Disposal Services
between the City of Carlsbad and Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. with the deal points
contained in the conceptual outline attached as Exhibit 1 to Agenda Bill 16,745 is
hereby approved.
2. That the Mayor of the City of Carlsbad is hereby authorized and directed to sign said
agreement for and on behalf of the City of Carlsbad once the agreement is in a form
approved by the City Attorney.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the
City of Carlsbad on the 7th day of MAY , 2002 by the following vote:
AYES: Council Members Lewis, Nyga
NOES: None
ABSENT: Council Member Kulchin
CLAUD A LEWIS, Mayor 7
,
Page 2 of Resolution No. 2002-140
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