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<br />rei ---'\) <br />( )j <br />tl}( <br /> <br />ITEM #5.3. <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />River <br /> <br />TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />STEPHEN ROHLF <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />JULY 12, 1999 5Z <br /> <br />SUBJECT: CONTRACT WITH <br />SHERBURNE COUNTY TO <br />DISPOSE OF ELK RIVER'S REFUSE <br />AT THERDF PLANT <br /> <br />Sherburne County has a contractual agreement with Northern States Power to deliver 50 <br />tons of waste per day to their Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Plant. The county faces <br />penalties if their quota of waste is not met or exceeded. <br /> <br />To aid the County with its contractual agreement, the City of Elk River has an agreement <br />with them to dispose of its waste at the RDF Plant, approximately 12 to 13 tons/day. <br />This arrangement also assures Elk River that its waste is being disposed of properly. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The cost to the city for waste disposal at the RDF Plant, which is set by the county, will <br />be going up from $46/ton to $51/ton in the year 2000. The price is scheduled to go up <br />again in the year 2001 to $56/ton. <br /> <br />City staff is concerned about the escalating price for waste disposal at the RDF Plant. <br />One ofthe major concerns of Elk River's citizens when waste collection was organized <br />by the city was that without free enterprise there would be no incentive to keep costs <br />down for the consumer. <br /> <br />Staff believes that the city's waste could be disposed of at the Elk River Landfill in the <br />year 2000 for almost $20/ton cheaper than at the RDF Plant. The average household in <br />Elk River disposes of 1.07 tons of waste per year. <br /> <br />The county finds Elk River's garbage attractive for meeting their contractual agreement at <br />the RDF Plant because the city has organized collection and can dictate where it goes. <br />The rest of Eastern Sherburne County is free to find the best price in the market place. It <br />seems unfair for Elk River's residents to carry the financial burden of meeting the <br />county's contractual agreement at the RDF Plant. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Encouraged by the Mayor, city staff and county staff sought to find a compromise <br />between increased cost to Elk River's residents for waste disposal and Sherburne County <br />not meeting their quota at the RDF Plant. The Sherburne County Waste Management <br />Advisory Committee recommended and the Sherburne County Board approved a very <br />acceptable solution. In the year 2000, the county will give $20 per household to <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490. Elk River, MN 55330. TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 <br />