UPRSWDD discusses contracts

As the 2019/2020 fiscal year comes to a close for the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District (UPRSWDD), the district board is also putting the three-year contracts for both the Saratoga and Encampment sites out for bid. For the past three years, contracts for both locations have been held by Ron Munson, owner of Evergreen Disposal.

On May 12, along with discussing how the district will proceed with disposal of animal waste, the UPRSWDD looked at changes to be made to both contracts for the next three years.

There were few changes to the contract for the Encampment transfer station. Two changes will revolve around the closure of the dead animal pit in Saratoga. The first change will be the implementation of the pilot program for the composting of offal from the meat processors. At the same workshop that discussed how to proceed once the dead animal pit closed, the board discussed amending the current contract held by Munson to begin the pilot program.

The second change to the contract, with this one being applied to both the Saratoga and Encampment sites, is in regards to revenue from recycling. Currently, Munson is able to pocket any recycling revenue to cover the costs of transporting both recycling and the municipal solid waste. In the updated contracts, however, the UPRSWDD will cover the transportation costs and any recycling revenue will be the property of the district.

A third change to both contracts will be the duties of the site superintendents. Under the contracts, the person holding the contract is obligated to have at least one employee as the designated superintendent. This person is given the responsibility and authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the site.

“I would like to add that that person be equipment capable,” said UPRSWDD Chairman Randy Raymer. “Part of the reason that some of this doesn’t get done is because Ron is out on the trash track and here Luke (Munson) comes to load the MSW (municipal solid waste) trailer or push the pit back and no one else.”

The contract for the Saratoga site will see significant changes compared to that of the Encampment site. One of those changes will be to the frequency in which the construction demolition (CD) pit at Saratoga is covered.

“We are required by DEQ to cover at least every 30 days and Ron does periodically push that pit when it gets strung clear out but it’s not regular,” Raymer said. “I think the cover frequency needs to go to once a week.”

Craig Kopasz of Engineering Associates agreed with Raymer, stating that weekly cover would be even more important if the Saratoga site were to begin accepting the bones, hide and heads of animals.

“It sounds like, during hunting season, you need to have it once a day,” said UPRSWDD Schelby Merrill.

“So, we need to put that language in there that any dead animal debris would need to be covered daily,” Raymer replied.

Along with the comments from the UPRSWDD board, it had been requested that Ron and Susan Munson provide some input on potential changes to the contract before it goes out for bid. One of those proposed changes was for both sites to open an hour later, operating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., instead of the current hours of operations, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Raymer stated he had informed Susan Munson that there wasn’t support for changing the hours and both sites would continue to open at 8 a.m.

Another issue brought up by the Munsons was the digging of the CD pit at the Saratoga site. In her notes to Raymer, Susan Munson indicated that the digging of the CD pits was not included in the original contact.

“Maybe he has, but he hasn’t backfilled the pit according to the terms of the contract. I think we need to add a little language that there may be periods when the contractor needs to execute a dig and fill,” said Raymer.

The general consensus among the UPRSWDD board was that along with changes to the contracts, there would also be wording that would require more enforcement of the contracts in the future. Following an advertisement of bids in the May 20 and May 27 Saratoga Sun, contracts will be awarded on June 3, before the end of the current fiscal year.

The next meeting of the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District will be at 7 p.m. on June 3 at Saratoga Town Hall.