Andrew McKay 12/13/19
At yesterday’s Santa Rosa County Commission meeting, the Board voted 5-0 to enter into a contract with WPR Inc. to haul recyclables from a collection point in Santa Rosa to the ECUA Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Beulah. The contract is for one year with up to five one-year extensions at the rate of $500 per load hauled. If the County cancels the contract before twelve months, there is a $5,000 per remaining month penalty to protect WPR in their purchase of equipment needed for the hauling. The date for resumption of recycling is yet to be decided, although the contract as drawn up starts January 1, 2020. In the meantime, the County strongly encourages people to continue behaving as if recycling is taking place because contamination has been a significant problem in the past. In fact, if the contamination problem (trash mixed into recycling) is too great, ECUA can reject loads or even cancel the contract.
According to the County:
FISCAL IMPACTS
Disposal fees for accepting recycling at the Central Landfill generate approximately $300,000.00 in annual revenue. Even with this annual revenue it is probable that the county will need to subsidize the recycling program (Hauling and Processing Fees). This subsidy could range anywhere from $150,000-$250,000 depending on several factors, including but not limited to the amount of tonnage sent to the ECUA for processing, increase in processing fees, and charges for rejected loads. These fees can be paid from the Landfill Enterprise Account, a budget amendment would not be required.