HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-04-18 City Council (26)TO:
ATTENTION:
BUDGET 1996-98
City of Palo Alto
C ty Manager’ Repor
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS
AGENDA DATE:
SUBJECT:
April 18, 1996
Budget Issue: Proposed Refuse Rate Increase
CMR:223:96
RECOMMENDATIONS
This is an informational report and no Council action is required.
EXECUTIVE SUMlVIARY
This report provides Council background on a proposed Refuse rate increase of 9 percent for
fiscal year 1996-97. The two major expenditures that are increasing the Refuse Fund expense
are design and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) costs related to the possible acquisition
of the remaining 50 percent ownership of the former Los Altos Treatment Plant (LATP) site,
and increases in tonnage of refuse delivered to the Sulmyvale Material and Recovery Transfer
(SMART) Station; in addition, there has been a decrease in customer revenues.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This report does not represent any change to existing policies.
DISCUSSION
Acquisition and Development of the former Los Altos Treatment Plant Site:
Staff has been pursuing the possibility of acquiring the remaining interest in the former LATP
site from the City of Los Altos. The acquisition would result in two uses for the site: 1) to
provide additional space for a corporate yard for refuse collection and hauling services due
to the increase in the number and size of vehicles needed to transport refuse to the SMART
Station, and for more on-site vehicle maintenance service associated with a larger fleet; 2)
to provide a Utilities Department staging area for contractors to store equipment and materials
while various water, sewer, and electric infrastructure projects are under construction.
In May 1995, Council authorized funds for consultant services to conduct a summary
reappraisal of the former LATP and to update costs associated with various options for the
long-term use of the site (CMR:226:95). In November 1995, EBA Waste Technologies
completed the project and provided staff with an updated appraisal of the site and a formula,
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to determine the appropriate cost sharing methodology between the Refuse Fund and the
Utilities Department, if the City were to proceed with the acquisition.
Palo Alto and Los Alms staff are in the process of discussing the acquisition of Los Altos’
50 percent share of the site. Staff will return to Council later this year with purchase
alternatives and proposed funding options for the site, including the necessary improvements.
At that time, staff will also provide Council with detailed project costs, the acquisition
scenarios, and, if approved, a tentative schedule for project implementation. The FY 1996-97
Refuse Fund CIP has a request for $600,000 to fund the preparation of an EIR, preliminary
design, and investigation of permitting requirements for the site.
Site Acquisition Costs:
The Refuse Fund has already purchased a 50 percent interest in the former LATP site over
an eight year period, which ended in fiscal year 1992. Based on the EBA Waste
Technologies cost breakdown, which includes the 50 percent share of the site already
purchased by the Refuse Fund, future acquisition costs would be borne by the Utilities
Department. The proposed site usage by the Refuse Fund is now set at only 41 percent of
the total site acreage. The proposed usage for the Utilities Department is approximately 59
percent of the total site acreage and would, therefore, require each of the appropriate Utility
funds to pay a portion of the remaining costs to purchase Los Altos’ 50 percent share of the
site, in addition to repaying the Refuse Fund 9 percent of the original 50 percent acquisition
costs already paid.
Once site purchase proposals are finalized by staff and brought before Council for approval,
an estimated $2.7 million for site purchase costs will need to be added to the Utility Funds’
budgets, including repayment to the Refuse Fund of $390,000 (9 percent share) for the
portion of the acreage now to be utilized by the Utilities Department. The proposed FY 1996-
97 Refuse Fund budget reflects the $390,000 revenue anticipated from the Utility Funds
participation in the project.
SMART Station:
The costs for the use of the SMART Station by Palo Alto next year are projected to increase
approximately $964,000, due to increased tonnage of refuse delivered to the SMART Station
from Palo Alto. The increases are consistent with staff’s original projections, contractual
obligations and the City’s Source Reduction and Recycling Plan (SRRE) on file with the
State. Staff is working with Sunnyvale to resolve ongoing issues related to the three-city
memorandum for use of the SMART Station and changes to the contract with Western Waste.
Staff will be returning to Council later this fiscal, or early next fiscal year, with
recommendations regarding SMART Station issues.
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Customer Revenues Decrease:
There has been a decrease in customer revenues due to: 1) The sluggish economy in the last
few years caused a downturn in construction, which in turn reduced the number of drop-box
(debris) rentals. A recent report from the Palo Alto Sanitation Company (PASCO) showed,
the monthly trend from July 1992 to July 1995, that drop-box business had fallen an average
of 22 percent over three years; 2) Expansions in recycling and waste reduction programs
throughout the commercial sector have resulted in a decrease in garbage generation as well.
FISCAL IMPACT
The 9 percent rate increase will provide a projected increase of customer revenue to the fund
of $1.5 million. This does not reflect the $1 million revenue reduction to be presented to
Council with the mid-year report in April. The increased fund expenses will result in an
overall reduction to the Rate Stabilization reserve (RSR) of $.99 million.
PREPARED BY: Karen Gissibl, Executive Assistant, Public Works Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
GLENN S. ROBERTS
pirector of PubliciW~rk~s
JU-~E FLEMING
City Manager
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