DATE: September 9, 2015
TO: Board of Mayor and Aldermen
FROM: Eric Stuckey, City Administrator
Vernon Gerth, ACA - Community and Economic Development
Joe York, Street Department Director
Todd King, Compost Facility Manager
SUBJECT:title
Discussion Regarding New Compost Site.
body
Purpose
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information to the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) concerning a proposal for the relocation of the City’s current, at-capacity Compost Facility from Incinerator Road to a new, central location on vacant land adjacent to the City’s Water Reclamation Facility (Waste Water Treatment Plant) located off Claude Yates Drive.
Background
The current compost facility is located on Incinerator Drive outside of the City’s southern corporate limits. This site was established and permitted by TDEC in 2011 and is only three (3) acres in size. The facility is at capacity and staff has been unable to identify additional property to purchase in the immediate vicinity of our current site. Subsequently, staff identified a new, larger centrally-located site adjacent to our Waste Water Treatment Facility that would provide ample room for expanding our composting operation and avoid having to begin incurring the expense associated with sending leaves, grass, and similar organic materials to a landfill.
In 2008 the Street Department collected only 366 loads of leaves or 4,392 cubic yards. Last season 696 loads of leaves or 9,048 cubic yards were collected. In 2009, the Sanitation and Environmental Services (SES) Department collected 383 tons of grass clippings and trimmings. In 2014 the volume exceeded 1,400 tons. Since 2008, the City has diverted 20,000 tons of organic material from the landfill.
Since 2011, the City has sold over $35,000 worth of compost, In 2015, the City compost sales have reached $11,800 to date compared to budgeted revenue of $3,000. This level of sales has occurred with little advertisement, relying primarily on “word of mouth.”
The new site, adjacent to the Waste Water Treatment Facility will be over twelve (12) acres and centrally located for staff to deposit organic material and for citizens to purchase quality compost. As the City modernizes its waste water treatment facility and incorporates advanced systems that allow us to comply with bio-solid regulatory requirements, a new compost facility will have the potential of integrating and composting this Grade-A bio-solid material.
Financial Impact
If the BOMA authorizes staff to proceed, the new facility will be budgeted and constructed in two phases. Phase One will be completed within the next several months and Phase Two will be budgeted and completed in FY2017.
Phase One: Includes obtaining a permit from TDEC ($4,000), construction of access roads and off-loading pad ($1,800), privacy screening, ($980), temporary restroom ($720), and with the help of the City Arborist a landscape buffer will be installed along the fence adjacent to the walking trail. Todd is proposing to utilize the tree bank for this buffer. Phase One totals $7,500, which is anticipated to be funded within the Streets Department existing budget.
Phase Two: Includes the installation of fencing and gates ($80,000), additional privacy screening ($3,000), installation of utilities ($10,000), installation of an off-street parking area ($10,000), and a small office and bin ($30,000). Phase Two Totals $130,000. This expenditure would need to be budgeted in the future and could potentially be funded over two fiscal years.
Recommendationrec
Staff seeks authorization to commence the TDEC permitting process and construction of Phase One improvements at the proposed site located adjacent to our Waste Water Treatment Facility off Claude Yates Drive.