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RESOLUTION R-2021-74: A RESOLUTION OF TRUSTEES OF THE NORMAN MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY APPROPRIATING $215,000 FROM THE SANITATION FUND BALANCE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DEBRIS GRINDING AT COMPOST FACILITY.
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BACKGROUND: The Compost Facility operates year round and allows citizens to drop off grass clippings, branches, and leaves to a location where they are then ground to mulch. Once mulched, windrows are formed and the facility processes the mulch until it becomes compost. The process takes approximately 90 to 120 days. The compost is then made available to citizens who want to use if for their gardens, flower beds, and other uses.
After the October 27, 2020 ice storm, citizens began bringing excessive amounts of tree limb debris to our facility and the quantity was overwhelming to our normal operations. On October 31, 2020, the new tub grinder (less than 2 years old) broke and parts were ordered. Since emergency cleanup activity was underway, staff obtained bids for private contractors to assist in grinding and hauling away mulch. Two bids were received out of four contractors and the low bid went to Innovative Services LTD LLC. They began on November 3, 2020 and their crews ground approximately 27,000 cubic yards at a price of $0.89 per cubic yard. They hauled 3,600 cubic yards of mulch away for $7,200. They left job site November 7, 2020.
The City’s tub grinder was back in operation and staff processed limb debris November 7 through November 11, 2020. On November 10, Vermeer performed routine warranty maintenance on the tub grinder and replaced a wire harness. On November 11, the tub grinder caught fire and the unit was destroyed. Staff is not certain of how the warranty or Vermeer’s insurance may or may not cover this expensive replacement. A post fire inspection determined that one of the hydraulic hoses was loose and probably not tightened as part of the Vermeer routine warranty service.
Staff again contacted Innovative Services LTD LLC and contracted with them to grind limb debris at the former bid rate of $0.89 per cubic yard. Their crews began at the site on Friday November 13, 2020 and worked through November 21, 2020 grinding an additional 41,400 cubic yards of limbs.
DISCUSSION: Staff has spent $32,200 and $36,846 to cover these two emergency grinding situations. Though staff is anticipating the tub grinder will eventually be replaced with insurance money, they also realize it may take some time before the full investigation is complete. So, to accommodate normal grinding needs from now until June 30, 2021, staff estimates $215,000 is necessary to be appropriated from Sanitation Fund Balance into operational account Other Business Services (33955165-44199) to cover these potential costs of operating.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the approval of Resolution R-2021-74 to appropriate $215,000 from the Sanitation Fund Balance (33-29000) into “Other Business Services” Org 33955165 Object 44199.