By Margie Doyle

On Monday, July 29, San Juan County Solid Waste Program Administrator Sam Gibboney is slated to  officially notify the County Council that key contract issues have been resolved regarding the Orcas Solid Waste Facility with Orcas Recycling Services (ORS). In its Staff Report dated July 22, county staff states that notice of the completion of contract negotiations will be provided to the County Council through Frank Mulcahy, Public Works Department Director, and the Council will be requested to set a date for a public hearing.

The Council will act on this recommendation at its regular Administration Meeting tomorrow, Monday, July 29.  The staff report of June 18, 2013 from Mulcahy and Gibboney states that the Council “may choose to schedule a public hearing to consider the contracts as early as August 6, 2013.”

The Council meeting for this “second touch” on the ORS solid waste contract  is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. In addition to the ORS contract, the Council will discuss the recent fires on Orcas Island and substandard housing statement for the Opportunity Council before the county’s legislative body adjourns at about noon.

The County Council selected ORS as a private vendor to provide solid waste handling services at the Orcas Transfer Station last November. The non-profit ORS is more familiarly known by the name of its recycling center, The Exchange. Recycling services are planned for future development, once the transfer station is operated by ORS.

The term of the county  agreement with ORS is five years with the possibility of renewal in five year increments up to a total of twenty years.

The agreement allows ORS use of Parcels A, B, and D at the Orcas Island Transfer Station. Parcel C is retained for use by San Juan County Public Works.

The agreement requires that ORS engage and retain the use of a reputable solid waste consulting firm for a period no less than nine months from the date of this agreement.

The agreement stipulates an annual rent of $8,500.

The agreement provides for the establishment of a surety deposit account in lieu of a performance bond. The initial deposit will be $50,000 with additional quarterly deposit until the required $150,000 is reached.

Contract negotiations, which the Council authorized the Public Works Department to finalize in June,  have also provided for:

  • solid waste handling permit
  • stormwater discharge permit
  • operating hours
  • certificated hauler
  • environmental indemnification and hold harmless
  • insurance
  • improvements
  • enforcement authority
  • rates

Technical specifications are appended to the agreement and include an operations plan and a capital improvement plan. These plans have been reviewed by Public Works, are substantially complete and drafts are included. These documents will be further refined before the commencement of operations by ORS.

Prior to entering into a contract with a vendor, the council must make written findings, after holding a public hearing on the proposal, that it is in the public interest to enter into the contract, that the contract is financially sound, and that it is advantageous for the county to use this method for awarding contracts compared to other methods.

To read the documents which the Council will consider, go to https://sanjuanco.com/council/displayagenda.aspx#home and click on the folder on the fourth bullet: DISCUSSION & UPDATES WITH DEPARTMENTS Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) Contract (2nd touch); Update on Orcas Fires

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