Macon County commissioners took a step closer to building landfill cell 2A by sending a findings resolution to the Local Government Commission that would allow the county to take on a $10.4 million bond from Webster Bank for its landfill project.
During the Nov. 13 Board of Commissioners meeting, Solid Waste Interim Director Jamie Picou gave a presentation comparing the estimated cost of building Landfill Phase 3, Cell 2 to the estimated cost of building a transfer station and shipping solid waste outside the county. Picou’s presentation highlighted new bids received on Nov. 6 after the county rejected previous bids in September in the hope of exploring other options.
The previous lowest responsive bid was $10,301,132.80; the new lowest responsive construction bid was $8,411,888.84 from FM Kitchens Construction Services LLC of Georgia. Combined with other maintenance, administrative and design expenses the total cost of the project would total $10,352,489.
Picou said no formal proposals came back for transferring waste, but in estimating the annual cost of each option over 10 years, building the new cell came out at almost $850,000 cheaper per year.
Picou presented two options for financing the project, both proposals for a special obligation bond put forward by Webster Bank. The first option was for $6.2 million over a five-year term, accruing $701,597 in interest. The second, recommended option was for $10,495,000 over 10 years, accruing $2,452,717 in interest.
County Manager Warren Cabe recommended the board continue to consider the construction of the landfill cell but said a hybrid model combining the regular use of the landfill and the transfer of some waste could be feasible and was worth considering based on estimated costs and return on investment. However, he said there would still be time for commissioners to look over the bids before giving their approval at the board’s December or January meeting.
“In my opinion, I think looking at that hybrid model is a good option to take. Obviously, that’s going to take some time,” Cabe said.
The November meeting’s vote was to take care of the preliminary steps for that approval so that whichever option the commissioners go with, the county will have a solution for solid waste in place by the time the current landfill cell fills up. Cabe recommended the board approve a findings resolution to send to the Local Government Commission for a vote on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to ensure the county can commit to the bond at its Dec. 9 meeting. The board approved the measure unanimously.
Recycling grants
Part of Picou’s presentation highlighted $5 million in recycling grants from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality that the county will be able to apply for to make improvements to Macon County convenience and solid waste facilities, as well as acquire new equipment. Cabe said the county already has some shovel-ready projects that would make it an attractive candidate for the grant and was working with the Southwestern Commission to put applications together.
He said the property the county owns in the Carson community could be used to make recycling easier and more accessible. Modifications could be made to the recycling facility at the Lakeside Drive solid waste center to improve efficiency. He added that a new baler and walking-floor trailer will be needed to help generate additional revenue from recycled items.