City of Columbus - File #: 0016-2007

• File #: 0016-2007
• Version: 1
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• File created: 12/28/2006
• In control: Utilities Committee
• On agenda: 1/22/2007
• Final action: 1/25/2007
• Title: To appropriate $14,000,000.00 within the Special Income Tax Fund; to authorize the Public Service Director to establish an encumbrance in this amount to pay 2007 refuse tipping fees to the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio for the Refuse Collection Division pursuant to an existing lease agreement; to authorize the expenditure of $14,000,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary from the Special Income Tax Fund; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of the Columbus City Code; and to declare an emergency. ($14,000,000.00)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
1/25/2007	1	CITY CLERK	Attest
1/24/2007	1	MAYOR	Signed
1/22/2007	1	Columbus City Council	Approved	Pass
1/22/2007	1	COUNCIL PRESIDENT	Signed
1/10/2007	1	EBOCO Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
1/10/2007	1	ODI DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/10/2007	1	Service Reviewer	Sent for Approval
1/10/2007	1	CITY ATTORNEY	Reviewed and Approved
1/10/2007	1	SERVICE DIRECTOR	Sent to Clerk's Office for Council
1/9/2007	1	SERVICE DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/9/2007	1	Auditor Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
1/9/2007	1	CITY AUDITOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/9/2007	1	SERVICE DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/8/2007	1	Finance Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
1/8/2007	1	Finance Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
1/8/2007	1	FINANCE DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/5/2007	1	SERVICE DIRECTOR	Reviewed and Approved
1/3/2007	1	Service Reviewer	Reviewed and Approved
12/28/2006	1	Service Drafter	Sent for Approval

Explanation

This legislation authorizes the Public Service Director to establish an encumbrance within the Special Income Tax Fund to pay 2007 refuse tipping fees to the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) for the Refuse Collection Division. This expense is necessary to safely and contractually dispose of the refuse collected by the Division in the course of pursuing its mission by providing residential refuse collection services to over 325,000 households weekly.

The Finance Department has determined that $14,000,000.00 should be adequate for this purpose. This number is based on estimated refuse tonnage of 351,250 tons estimated to be taken to SWACO in 2007. Actual tonnage is susceptible to variables such as the weather and the number of households collected that cannot be absolutely predicted at this time. If necessary, additional legislation will be submitted to increase this amount later this year. Previous years' actual tipping fee expenditures totaled $10,866,348.70 (2003), $10,816,454.46 (2004), and $11,057,297.07 (2005). Through November 2006, actual expenditures totaled $11,943,315.38 and are expected to be $12,923,316.00 by the end of December. Tipping fee rates are determined by SWACO's established rate setting process. In January 2006, tipping fees increased $2.50 per ton. Effective January 1, 2007, SWACO will raise tipping fees by an additional $1.25 per ton.

Also, pursuant to the eighth (8th) modification to the Agreement between the City and SWACO, part of the tipping fees will help fund the expansion of the drop-off recycling program.

Formal competitive bidding requirements must be waived because refuse disposal services, other than those provided by SWACO, are available in the marketplace, however the City is bound by contract to tip at SWACO facilities.

This 2007 expense is budgeted within the Special Income Tax Fund.

Emergency action is requested to avoid delays of payment to SWACO that could result in the C...