| Comprehensive
Planning and Procurement Services
(City of Fort Worth, Texas)
 GBB
assisted the City of Fort Worth, Texas in planning and
procuring collection and processing services for the
various solid waste and recyclables streams generated
by the 150,000 single-family and duplex residences and
over 1,600 of the smaller selected businesses in this
City of over 500,000 residents. In addition, GBB helped
the City to procure a lessee/operator for its Southeast
Landfill and secure long-term disposal services for
the portion of the City’s waste that cannot be
recycled and/or processed for beneficial use. GBB initially
evaluated the City’s needs and identified strategies
to:
(1) maximize diversion
to recycling,
(2) improve waste and recyclables management, and
(3) lower costs to waste generators and increase revenues
to the City.
GBB held internal workshops
with the City and organized a diverse team, representing
several City departments, for the comprehensive procurement
of solid waste and recyclables management services under
an aggressive schedule set by City Council. GBB prepared
the procurement documents, conducted a briefing for
potential contractors prior to the procurement, and
held a pre-proposal conference with potential contractors
shortly after issuance of the final RFP. As a result
of the extensive outreach process to the contracting
community, in advance of and during the procurement
process, the City received several competitive proposals
for services and the lease and operation of its Southeast
Landfill.
GBB assisted the City
in evaluation of proposals and negotiation of long-term
contracts with multiple contractors. It is anticipated
that the City will obtain significant savings over its
current system costs, which includes both City-provided
and contractor-provided services, and will realize substantial
revenues in the form of lease rentals and royalties.
Procurement of a Lessee/Operator for the City’s Southeast Landfill
GBB helped to procure a lessee/operator for the City’s Southeast Landfill and secure long-term disposal services for the portion of the City’s waste that is not recycled and/or processed for beneficial use. The GBB Project Team assisted the City in deciding whether to retain ownership and continue to operate the Southeast Landfill or to sell or lease the Landfill to a qualified private contractor. The City decided to pursue a competitive procurement of a lease and operate contractor, with the City retaining landfill ownership. GBB assisted in preparing the procurement documents, evaluation of proposals, proposer interviews, and negotiations with the selected proposer, Allied Waste (dba Trinity Waste Services).
The Lease and Operating Agreement between the City and Trinity, with performance guaranty by Allied Waste industries, Inc. (which was acquired by Republic Services, Inc. in 2008), provides substantial financial benefits and security features for the City.
Transition Support
GBB provided the City
with certain transition support services as the City
implemented its new system of privatized services and
waste management techniques that require adjustment
by City residents. These include single-stream recyclables
collection in carts, point-to-point collection of large
bulky waste and brush, and conversion from “unlimited
plastic bags” to roll-out carts for garbage storage
and collection.
Under the new PAYT
system and corresponding curbside recycling program,
implemented in March 2003, Fort Worth's recycling rate
has jumped from 6 percent to 20 percent, and 70 percent
of households now recycle, up from just 38 percent.
The economic effects are just as encouraging: 92 percent
of residents pay less for garbage disposal than they
did under the old system, and the city is saving, too.
The cost for municipal solid waste disposal has dropped
from almost $32 million under the old system to approximately
$24 to $25 million under PAYT, and the city earned $540,000
from the sale of recycled materials over the course
of a year. With a promising first year under its belt,
the program continues to expand. In the Spring of 2004,
the program served 163,000 households, and a new route
was being added every six weeks.
To design a PAYT system
that best suited the needs of its residents, Fort Worth
consulted a number of resources, including EPA's PAYT
materials, GBB, and a supplier of waste disposal carts.
The city also considered extensive data gathered from
its seven year pilot project, which presented 8,000
residents with various combinations of recycling, cart,
and rate options. Gathering information from a variety
of sources allowed the city to define its budget, select
containers, set rates, and design an outreach program
that would make the transition easier on residents.
In keeping with the
goals of the 1995 solid waste management plan, PAYT
has also helped Fort Worth make the most of its landfill
space—a long-term concern for any MSW program.
By separating its waste through PAYT, Fort Worth is
also managing its waste more efficiently.
Combined with
increased recycling, Fort Worth's landfill management
efforts are paying off. Since March 2003, the city has
kept 30,791 tons of recyclables, 11,369 tons of yard
trimmings, and 2,618 tons of brush out of landfills.
That extension of landfill life will ease taxpayer burden
in the long run.
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