Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works Department

 

TO:

David Corliss, City Manager

Charles Soules, Public Works Director

Tammy Bennett, Assistant Public Works Director

FROM:

Kathy Richardson, Waste Reduction and Recycling Operations Supervisor

CC:

Craig Pruett, Solid Waste Operations Supervisor

 

Date:

 

September 4, 2012

RE:

Plan for the establishment of an organized recycling collection service and Request for Proposals (RFP) for a residential curbside recycling program

 

 


Please place the following item on the September 11, 2012 City Commission regular agenda:

 

Receive draft Plan for the Establishment of an Organized Recycling Collection Service; receive draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a city-wide, single-stream residential curbside recycling collection service and authorize distribution of RFP; and authorize the city to submit a proposal in response to the RFP.

 

Background

At the City Commission meeting on February 28, 2012,

·         the Solid Waste Task Force recommended a goal of 50% recycling rate by volume by 2020 and to achieve this goal they recommended implementing a city-wide, single-stream residential curbside recycling program, if fiscally prudent and sustainable; and

·         the City Commission directed staff to prepare a report on Request for Proposals (RFP) options that outlines major policy issues for a curbside recycling program.

 

Implementing a city-wide residential curbside recycling program for the City of Lawrence is considered establishing an organized recycling collection service as defined in State Statutes 12-2035 and 12-2036.  The following required action steps have been completed.

 

(1)  On June 12, 2012, the Mayor signed Resolution No. 6976 announcing the City’s intent to consider adoption of an organized collection service for residential recycling within the City limits of Lawrence, Kansas.

 

(2)  From June 13, 2012 through September 10, 2012, staff developed a plan for establishing an organized collection service for residential recycling in Lawrence.  As required by state law, all curbside recycling haulers operating collection services in the City of Lawrence as of June 12, 2012 were invited to participate in the plan development process.

 

 

Organized recycling collection service plan development

As required by the Organized Collection Service Act, K.S.A. 12-2036, the City of Lawrence developed a draft plan for establishing an organized recycling collection service during the 90-day period after the adoption of the resolution of intent.

 

During the plan development period, three meetings were scheduled to draft the plan and to finalize the draft of the RFP to establish city-wide, single-stream curbside recycling collection service for single-family and multi-family dwellings in the City of Lawrence.  Notices of these planning meetings, agendas and notes were posted on the City’s website and online calendar.  All haulers operating curbside recycling collection services in Lawrence were invited to participate in the planning of the proposed organized recycling collection service.  These haulers received a letter outlining the meeting schedule and inviting them to participate in the process.  They also received email reminders of the upcoming meetings.  All other interested individuals and businesses including recycling haulers and recycling companies in Lawrence and the surrounding area were also invited to attend these planning meetings.  Attached is the attendance summary for all three meetings.

 

The adopted resolution of intent specified the public hearing for the proposed plan to be held at the December 11, 2012 City Commission meeting. 

 

Request for Proposals (RFP) for curbside recycling collection services

The draft RFP for curbside recycling collection services outlines the proposal information, minimum specifications, proposal content, evaluation criteria and the equal opportunity agreement.  Revisions to the RFP document will be completed as directed by the City Commission.

 

The curbside recycling RFP includes two service solution types:

(1)  Turn-key recycling operations.

(2)  Recyclables material processing and marketing only (which would allow municipal collection of recyclables).

Proposers may submit multiple, alternate responses to each service solution type.

 

Major policy issues for curbside recycling RFP:

Decisions on major policy issues define the Scope of Work section in the RFP.  The curbside recycling program major policy issues for the City Commission to consider and evaluate are outlined in the attached matrix.  This matrix includes feedback from the Solid Waste Task Force as well as the city’s Sustainability Advisory Board.  

 

Next steps

With City Commission approval, the City will solicit and evaluate proposals for collection and processing components of a curbside recycling program.  The schedule for the RFP is summarized below.  The City reserves the right to amend the schedule as it sees fit.

 

EVENT                                                          DATE

Release of RFP:                                              September 12, 2012                    

Notification of Intent Due:                                September 26, 2012

Questions from Proposers Due:                         September 26, 2012

Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting:                       October 1, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.

Addenda to the RFP:                                        any time prior to proposals due date

Proposals Due:                                               October 26, 2012 by 5:00 p.m.

Conduct Interviews with Selected Proposers:        November 2012

 

As stated in Resolution No. 6976, the public hearing for the proposed plan will be held before the governing body of the City of Lawrence on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, in the City Commission Meeting Room, City Hall, 6 East 6th Street, Lawrence, Kansas.  Shall hearing shall begin at 6:35 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the governing body’s schedule allows. 

 

The Mayor and City Commissioners may also consider adopting an ordinance that establishes an organized collection service for residential recycling in Lawrence on December 11, 2012 based on the State law requirement of waiting at least 180 days after the adoption of the resolution of intent.  If this ordinance is not adopted within one year of the passage of the resolution of intent, the process of establishing an organized recycling collection service shall be started over.

 

The attached table summarizes the required action steps the City of Lawrence must complete for the establishment of a residential curbside recycling program as required by the Organized Collection Service Act, K.S.A. 12-2036.

 

Recommended action

 

Receive draft Plan for the Establishment of an Organized Recycling Collection Service.

 

Receive draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a city-wide, single-stream residential curbside recycling collection service and authorize distribution of RFP.

 

Attachments

(1)  Draft plan for the establishment of an organized recycling collection service

(2)  Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a city-wide, single-stream residential curbside recycling collection service

(3)  Attendance summary of the plan development meetings for the proposed organized recycling collection service

(4)  Matrix detailing major policy issues for curbside recycling program

(5)  Table with estimated timeline summarizing action steps for establishing an organized recycling collection service