Title
Apply for Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Recycling Research and Development Grant Opportunity (Ordinance S-50434)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to retroactively apply for, and if awarded, accept, and enter into an agreement for disbursement of grant funding from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) through its Recycling Grant Program's Recycling Research and Development Grant. If awarded, the grant will be used to conduct a feasibility study for alternative transportation of recycling and compost by rail at the 27th Avenue Resource Innovation Campus. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item. The total grant funds applied for will not exceed $100,000.
Report
Summary
Currently the City's Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and compost facility operations contractors rely solely on semi-trucks to transport baled recyclables (commodities) and finished compost out of the 27th Avenue Resource Innovation Campus. With the reliance on semi-trucks, the contractors can experience increased transportation costs when fuel costs increase and they are limited on how many loads they can transport per day. With rail infrastructure in close proximity to the Resource Innovation Campus and the additional volume capacity of rail cars compared to semi-trucks, both the MRF and compost facility operations contractors communicated to the City their interest in having access to a rail spur. Access to a rail spur can also increase capacity to divert more materials from the landfill as the Resource Innovation Campus develops, supporting the City's solid waste diversion goals. By conducting a feasibility study, the City can determine if constructing a rail spur is viable and economically feasible, including the estimated costs.
The ADEQ Recycling Research and Development Grant aims to help recipients develop tools and create knowledge that will help divert significant amounts of material from the solid waste stream in the future. The Public Works Department is requesting retroactive authorization to submit an application for the ADEQ Recycling Research and Development Grant. If awarded, funding will be used for a city contractor to conduct a feasibility study for alternative transportation of recycling and compost by rail at the 27th Avenue Resource Innovation Campus. The grant was submitted prior to the deadline of Dec. 1, 2023. If not authorized, the grant application can be withdrawn. The Public Works Department is also requesting authorization to enter into an agreement to accept the funding if awarded.
Financial Impact
The Public Works Department is requesting grant funds up to $100,000. If awarded, ADEQ's grant would not exceed $100,000 and the City's costs would be approximately $0 for the local match. Potential grant funding received is available through the Arizona Solid Waste Recycling Act of 1990 and is derived from landfill disposal fees.
Location
27th Avenue Resource Innovation Campus - 3060 S. 27th Ave.
Council District: 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Works Department.