January 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM - City Council Work Session

Discussion:  TT - baswa & mars closely related, how related, how different
BASWA - 1983 - prior to 1983 had beatrice landfill, prior to regulation subtitle d? purchased Beatrice Sanitary Landfill, signed interlocal agreement to form BASWA
North side as BASWA for last 42 years, 5 different cells, pre-1983, post 1983 with new requirements.
South side - purchased in 1994, held on, opened C&D 2013
October 2014 - after 1 year debate/study BASWA decided to open landfill on south side instead of transfer 6-5 vote.  spent 1 year, vote affirmed 8-0 vote.

tonnage @ Baswa - 2004-2016 averaged 22,000 tons per year one of smallest
after decision to open landfill on southside, run as business, now at 45,000 tons, doubled in size, part is Seneca, just under 10,000 tons
break even point - 2008, break even $28.50/ton  2017-2020 break even was $25.18, by bringing in additional tonnage, drive cost per ton down, during timeframe, $25+tipping fee from Seneca.
since 2014 - operate essentially same equipment & employees,  added 1 employee, 1/2 time compost, drive down cost per ton significantly.
profitable?  Yes, able to pay $200,000 to $300,000 per year in closure/post closure fund.  Closure/Post Closure - state makes have at some point have to cap landfill, 3' dirt, post closure monitoring next 30 years, to ensure $ to pay for this
mayor - what?  TT -JM settling, vegetation, maintaining good vegetation without trees, any settling, bring in dirt, methane gas wells, vacuum devise to pull air up, make sure not migrating methane from cells.  contractors who come in & do groundwater as well
TT - still do annual inspection on old biodiesel plant
end of 2024 - baswa was debt free., set up in preparation to build landfill to make sure no bond payment on top of bond payment

MARS - BASWA larges, 6,500?? tons 39% of baswa tonnage comes across. started in April 2021.  has been profitable.  MARS has 2 outstanding debts, 2021 sanitation bonds - purchase building, equipment, runs through 2031 owe $9.31?? 1.3% interest.  other debt is a lease - purchased truck in 2022 $160,000?????? didn't have cash to pay for outright first year, so did lease...
when San Garb...rate consisted of San Garb Fee & landfill fee (per household)...rate at residential home.  mars now picks up trash & pays rate per ton across scale.  went to $18.00 per residential until 2022?? $20 since then for residential rates.  looked at other communities:
kearney $17; Crete $21 ; Seward $21-25 ; Columbus $24; nP $25; Norfolk $30; Scottsbluff $52.45 - get list from Tobias...

2014 had to track more tonnage to come across, $13 million expansion, want to pay with 20,000 ton or 45,000 - everyone of other communities, help BASWA survive.  either close or raise rates to be able to make payments, etc.  
expansion at BASWA with dirt work, bldg, etc., $13 mill, at rating agency currently.  issue bonds early february.  dirt contractor out as speak, pre-construction next week on bldg site, more construction likely June.

Eskra - old bldg?  TT - will stay.  Eskra - compost?  TT - will stay  Ted - grinder easy to move?  TT - onto sure  JM - yes, drive down road like big snowblower

Hydo - used to be 2 lines, about how much is for landfill?  TT - would have to do some math & get back
Mayor - in $20 includes both baswa & landfill charge.  in old days, saw $1 raise per year, one year garbage, 1 year landfill.  if had to raise tonnage fee, would be consistent across for all.
Hydo - raise rates would include all surrounding?  TT - Dewitt & Odell, 
2020 - landifll

Aaron schoen - why less?  TT - marginal cost to go to community, benefit to us by picking up, bring back to baswa, which otherwise may not go to our landfill.  mars gets additional customers, baswa gets additional tonnage.
Ruh - by doing this should keep our rates pretty stable for a long time?  if bring in other communities, no reason we should have to raise our rates.  TT - will have to spread those tonnage costs, but now with 45,000 tonnage instead of 22,000.  Ruh - crab orchard??? If we have to raise rates, can't raise new contracts...not going to fly with alot of people, upsets a lot more now that beatrice pays more.  one of biggest things is that we pay more.
Ted - this is long game, long game in 1994, everyone complained then, we look like rock stars now.  appreciate Ruh view, these are hard numbers, other services provided that we don't get paid for:  backflow testing at no cost, private industry does, provide EMS service to county, no more; ambulance interfacility transfers, it for sherrif, main street, housing, operate our own electric, water, sewer, assist communities with storms , mosquito spraying, crack sealing covered bride hgihtes, lease sweeper to fairbury, rock to Homesetead, Adams, parking stalls - runza, moms corner; sweep parking lots, street signs to local villages, plumbers, interlibrary loans, deliver to home bound.  burglar & fire calls...have no problem to have them spend money, 51% sales tax, but have an issue if paying less than us for trash services.
terry - only partial list.  pantry no rent, senior center 
Mayor - shows we are good neighbors, not afraid to help other communities, strong point need to make people understand.  here to help ourselves & neighbors, Nebraska way...historically
Ted - loan city engineer to other communities - is there anything we've ever turned anyone down for?  no one could think
gary - no people be upset about this, tell how its working, many compliments
hydo - not mars, employees do a great job, but city being in competition with other businesses, agree city steps in, city painted, but was because couldn't find anyone to do.  hear about most is city is in competition. Ted - everyone of these is a private industry.  Hyod - competition aspect?  putting people out of business.  
Gary - when bid garbage?  some people just like to complain about city, have ax to grind.  another one was asked to give bid &  don't think it was financially .
Hydo - this helps, we are making money on each ton, paying more per ton
Mike - communities reached out to us, cuz they couldnt' find anyone?  TT - yes
Doyle - breakeven?  TT - this year, beak even $27.84/ton, Mayor - with $13 mill investment
Doyle -$200-300,000 per year, do we have to do that forever?  or will it self-fund?  TT- state would like to have all in the day you close landfill.  not sure of any landfill can do that.  enough to close, post-clsoure, will have to factor in as moving forward, depends upon what testing, etc.
Ted- used to be private landfills, people would just walk away...
mayor - last comment, decision to move & develop a new landfill, wasn't in our hands, not many landfills, fewer & fewer that can afford it, should be comforting that we, estimate is 70 years, blueprint on how to move forward.

 

Discussion:  downtown:  Terry, mike, dana
dempsters - ted,  Duane, alex
water park - alex, Dana, mike, ted
duck pond - terry, dave, gary
school sites - Dave, gray, Mayor
hwy 77 & 2028 - short term committee- ted, mike, dave, bob Moran - would guess Jason & James Burroughs would be involved with that as well

hydo - how old?  Tt - most original.  

mayor -