Sherburne County officials are looking into the future of solid waste disposal.

 

Last Tuesday, Solid Waste Administrator Dave Lucas told members of the county board Tri-County Solid Waste is proposing an amendment to the current disposal agreement.

 

Back in 2011, Tri-County entered into an agreement with the Pope/Douglas facility in Alexandria to provide 50,000 tons of municipal solid waste a year to process into energy. 

 

Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties entered into an agreement with Tri-County to provide a combined 50,000 tons of solid waste each year to be delivered to Pope/Douglas. 

 

Each county has a separate put-or-pay agreement with Tri-County, meaning if the guaranteed tonnage isn’t delivered, the county pays a tipping fee for each ton not delivered.

 

Sherburne County’s percentage is currently 11% of the total. Lucas said Benton County’s  tonnage is 13% to 14%, with the bulk being delivered by Stearns County. Those percentages are reviewed every five years.

 

Under the contract between Tri-County and Pope/Douglas, which was revised in September, 2016, the tonnage remains at 50,000 a year until 2021, then drops to 35,000 tons until 2026, and drops again  to 25,000 over the final five years (2027 to 2031). 

 

The tipping fee, currently at $77 per ton, increases to $80 per ton in the 16th year of the agreement. It also includes language that allows for up to a four percent tipping fee increase a year to reflect the net cost of operations.

 

Tri-County and Pope/Douglas are now proposing to amend the contract to maintain 50,000 tons of waste delivery a year from the three counties through the life of the contract. The amendment  would go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. Lucas said that could be a problem if future quotas can’t be met or contracts can’t be negotiated.

 

“I have concerns over the waste assurance - the ability for haulers to negotiate contracts with Tri-County for the delivery of our percent to Pope/Douglas,” said Lucas. 

 

“To maintain it at 50,000 tons through 2031 knowing that the tipping fee is going to increase and also a likelihood that the tipping fee can be increased even further to meet net operational costs, waste assurance becomes a thing of concern.”

 

Commissioner Felix Schmiesing said the entire agreement should be reviewed, not just the proposed amendment.

 

“I would suggest we enter into discussions with Tri-County and our counterparts about the current relationships, the current agreement and consideration of a future agreement,” he said. “I think we want to reconsider our entire relationship before we extend into a 20-year agreement with anyone. It’s just prudent.”

 

Members of the board agreed. Lucas said he would make a list of discussion points to use in talks with Tri-County and the other counties.