— by Margie Doyle —
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Orcas Islanders have been eagerly anticipating the return of The Exchange, that 30+ year old ramshackle collection of sheds and tents under which many a treasure or necessity was found.
When the old Exchange burned on Feb. 10, 2013, Orcas Recycling Services (ORS), the company that runs the Exchange was in the middle of negotiating a contract to operate the Orcas Transfer Station.
Who would have dreamed then, that we islanders could have, within four years, a model re-use/recycle center?
Since they obtained the county contract and began operating the Transfer Station in September 2013, ORS is already steering 13 percent of the Island’s waste away from the landfill, thanks to programs that recycle batteries, oil, antifreeze, cooking oil, electronics, tires, metal, fluorescent lights and more.
ORS has also improved its professional profile by building a strong staff and Board Of Directors, acquiring federal 501(c)3 non-profit status. They did this and kept $637,393 in the local economy through jobs and contract services—in 2014 alone.
The ORS board and staff has been planning for a new Exchange that not only meets County regulations, but also presents a contemporary, forward-thinking enterprise to make good use of our discards. This process regards them as “resources” rather than “waste”.
Now, the rubber’s met the road, ORS is near completion of the county-mandated road on the property, the public and professional designers have agreed on a concept …..and it’s only the beginning!
The “Rebuild The Exchange” capital campaign, begun this week, sets a goal of $593,000 to open the doors of the New Exchange in May, 2016. ORS/The Exchange Board President Tim Blanchard said, “We plan to manage The Exchange operations sustainably, the purpose of the Rebuild the Exchange campaign is to raise the capital investment necessary to rebuild itand get it up and running again. Before the fire, The Exchange had served the Orcas community for 30 years; this investment will allow us to continue that work for years to come.”
That will provide a wooden pole frame, metal-covered building to take in donations, sort them, fix them and display them for sale — at a cost of approximately $90 per square foot, as compared to $250 per square foot for the least expensive residential construction possible on Orcas, says ORS Director Pete Moe.
The nearly $600,000 budget includes:
• $70,000 in Architecture, permits, engineering, taxes and fees
• $55,000 for the foundation, requiring high-tech venting to deal with methane gas emissions
• $240,000 for the metal building package
• $55,000 for plumbing and electric
• $10,000 for site preparation
• $28,000 for hardware and furnishings
• $75,000 fro startup operations
• $60,000 for contingency funds
•
With over $100,000 already in the Capital Campaign, Moe is confident that the community will respond and help ORS reach the goal.
State Senator Kevin Ranker is already on board. He says, “Like the rest of our community, I miss The Exchange; not only because it was a community-driven opportunity to drop off and find wonderful items for our families, but because it allowed islanders to share instead of waste. Join me in supporting The Exchange.”
Moe says it’s reasonable to expect many of these expenses to come in under the budget, thanks to the help of volunteers and the assistance of local businesses and professionals who offer discounts. “The good news is that most of those costs stay in the community,” Moe says.
He describes the start–up and contingency fund as “prudent policy, even if it’s not sexy. There’s a big development curve and we’ll have a huge backlog of inventory to deal with when we open, so having a contingency fund is the responsible thing to do.”
He’s pleased to have Ken Katz as project manager, a position Katz held with the new Orcas Food Co-op, in part for Katz’ rapport with volunteers and his skill in matching their talents to the needs of the project; as well as for Katz’ assessment of materials that can be donated.
Volunteers are encouraged to contact the ORS and let the board know of their willingness to help, at at www.exchangeorcas.org
When it opens next spring, Moe expects the new Exchange will employ two full-time employees, and will have a volunteer staffing program.
People can help out by visiting the Exchange website at www.exchangeorcas.org, or by donating to the “”Exchange Phoenix Fund” with the Community Foundation by clicking: oicf.ExchangePhoenix/donate. All donations are directed only be used in rebuilding The Exchange, not spent on any other improvements or mitigation at the county site. Blanchard said, “We would like to thank all islanders for your patience so far, your ideas, and your support so that we can reopen The Exchange as soon as possible.”
Teacher Laura Tidwell’s middle school science class has volunteered to help with landscaping. Americorps Volunteers with Camp Orkila will be helping too, and Moe is planning a Public Tour of the site when the road project is done in December.
In the meantime, as photos by Ron Glassett show, the new Exchange is coming soon!
For more information, the phone is 360-376-4089, email is info@exchangeorcas.org and the mailing address is PO Box 91, Eastsound WA 98245
The Orcas Transfer Station is located at 3398 Orcas Road. Its hours of operation are Thursday – Monday 10am – 4pm
The board of directors of ORS/The Exchange:
• Tim Blanchard, President
• Larry Coddington, Vice President
• Susan Malins, Treasurer
• Michael Greenberg
• Ian Harlow
• Bruce Rylander
• Mark Mayer
• Kate Hansen, Secretary
• Pete Moe, Executive Director
Thanks Margie! Just a note: Bruce Rylander has been Treasurer of ORS for about a year now, and he is a Fantastic!!! addition to the project.
Would it be possible for the new Exchange to function as a souce of funds for other Orcas nonprofits? A model could be the White Elephant,in Green Valley, AZ, which takes in donations of clothing, household goods (I once furnished a house largely with purchases there), and gives millions to regional charities each year.
Nice idea, Jan. A church I used to go to turned an old barn on their property into an Exchange sort of thrift shop and last I heard, the church was enjoying something like $100,000 a year after expenses from that project.