The Town of Friday Harbor directed its staff to rework "lease agreement conditions" presented at the June 21, 2012 meeting. The document lists conditions which will be in San Juan County's Request for Proposals (RFP) for a private company to operate San Juan Island solid waste facility.
San Juan County Council voted to not provide solid waste services and to close down its facilities unless private operators respond to RFPs and decide to operate them.
The Lopez Island facility will stay open if voters on that island approve a property tax to fund a solid waste utility. They will have their own solid waste district and run their solid waste operations.
Representatives from four companies attended the pre-proposal meeting for the RFP for the Orcas Island Solid Waste Facility. The companies were Cimarron Enterprises, the Exchange, KENTEC Energy USA and San Juan Sanitation. The RFP did not specify what type of services would be offered at the facility.
In the case of the San Juan facility, a private operator would be expected to bring the facility into compliance with state and federal regulations and resolve the traffic backup problem on Sutton Road.
The facility is owned by the county. The land is owned by the town. The lease expires in 2014. The document presented to the council was negotiated between town staff and the county.
Item #8, which says full self-haul will continue, is dependent on the Department of Ecology extending their September 30, 2012 "drop dead" deadline for closure of the facility.
Town Councilmember Steve Hushebeck asked about the likelihoood of the extension.
"We're not sure yet," said County Public Works Director Frank Mulcahy. "Ecology is not pleased with it." The department is considering the request and will have its answer to Mulcahy within a matter of weeks.
As for the Town's answers to the County regarding the lease agreement conditions, the Town Council's next meeting is July 5 and the document with the changes will be discussed.
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