Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin 01-27-82MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH - JANUARY 27, 1982 The City Council convened in study session for consideration of request for annexation of Sanitary Disposal Site property and Vichy Hills Power Company's plant proposal at 3:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers. Councilmembers present: Hickey, Feibusch, Snyder, Riley, Myers. Staff present: Payne, Orchard, Kruth, Harris, Goforth, Tillotson, Melvin. Mayor Myers adjourned the meeting at 3:05 P.M. due to public attendance and reconvened the meeting at 3:15 P.M. at the Saturday Afternoon Club. Mayor Myers reviewed Council's action taken at their last meeting regarding subject matter. Ed Titlow, Vichy Hills Power Company, and Armand Polanski, State Solid Waste Management Board, gave a film presentation illustrating waste to energy technology and plants presently in operation in California as well as other parts of the United States. City Manager stated that Council will consider two interrelated issues: 1) the potential annexation and 2) the resolution adopted by Council directing staff to enter into negotiation with the Vichy Hills Power Company for potential lease on the dump site. He further stated that the City's involvement with the project has consisted of Council's directing staff to negotiate in good faith with Vichy Hills Power Company regarding lease of landfill site. He requested that staff be instructed if negotiations were to continue or not. He pointed out that the proposed project will not be built by the City to be used by the City. PUBLIC HEARING OPENED: Miles Crail, Ukiah, stated he is the closest resident to the landfill. He stated he is a licensed forester and related his experience with waste fire boilers burning of redwood bark. He felt the firing of garbage would be a very substantial undertaking and questioned if it would work, although he agreed with the concept. He requested that Council not approve annexation. Armand Polanski, State So~id Waste Management Board, stated he was not present at the meeting as a proponent of the project but merely to clarify any issues that arise. Mr. Titlow showed a film on garbage to energy plants. Tania Lipshutz, Sonoma County Recycling Center, spoke to the following issues: the technical and financial risks, tipping fees, guaranteed supply of garbage and possible failure of the plant. Councilmember Riley asked Ms. Lipshutz about the Santa Rosa experience with garbage to energy burning. Dan Knapp, Berkeley, provided Council with examples of hazardous toxic materials found in landfills and was of the opinion that garbage must be separated very carefully to avoid contamination. Bill Adams, E1 Dorado Estates, expressed concern with traffic and the weight on the bridge. He spoke to his experience with waste fire burners using wood waste. He felt there was not enough garbage available locally to make this project work. He did not want to invest public money in the project without sufficient study done of the project. Councilmember Feibusch clarified that no public money is involved, only private money. Linda Foster, Ukiah, felt the issue that should be considered at this point was annexation. Mark Cagle, Ukiah, was of the opinion that the Council is opposed to "leap frog" annexation and felt there was no logical reason to annex this property. He questioned who would provide services, the City"or County. He felt the project should be encouraged. City Manager stated annexation would enable Adj .Mtg. ]_/27/82 Page 1 the City to have lead agency status and pointed out that the City does not hold the sole power regarding annexation; all annexations must go through LAFCO. Marilyn Erickson, Ukiah, asked why this site was being considered for annexation? City Manager stated that annexation of this property would eliminate the necessity of paying taxes to the County and provide the City with control over the property. He pointed out that annexation would provide the Council with authority on the project for permits or environmental clearance. Gary Ackerstrom, Ukiah, expressed concern with industrial development in a residential area and the residents of this area having no voter representation. He felt that the plant should be built closer to the source of garbage and not in a residential area. Charles Williams, Ukiah, pointed out the value of paper refuse that might be burned and felt it would be prudent to encourage recycling. Mark Cagle asked: 1) What is the useful life of the garbage dump vs. recycling; 2) What sales tax is expected; and 3) Will the City receive the benefit of the power or PG&E? Councilmember Riley stated Mr. Titlow's arrangement is to sell power to PG&E. City Manager pointed out that the questions deal with the potential of the City to enter into a lease and the benefits derived from that lease. He further stated he did not feel any urgency that the City, in the next few years, would have to find a new landfill site. Warren Liberty, Ukiah, spoke to the hazards of landfills, i.e., air pollution as well as bacteria leaking into the soil. Councilmember Riley stated that burning of nontoxic material can turn the material into toxic matter. She further expressed concerns regarding the ash problem and stated that Dave Snitzer of the State Water Quality Control Board said that the landfill site would have to be upgraded to II-1 or we would have to truck away the trash and pointed out the fact that the proposal does not address the problem of covering the ash and asked if we want the toxic hazardous gas in our landfill? Julie Knudson, Ukiah, spoke to the no interest loan applied for by Mr. Titlow and felt all Ukiah citizens would end up paying for it and asked who would take the responsibility for liability at the plant? Councilmember Feibusch stated that there is no public money involved in this enterprise and the City would receive revenues out of the operation. He further pointed out that the petition presented to Council stated it contained signatures of residents of the area adjacent to the landfill site; but in fact the signatures were from people who not only lived outside the immediate area but from other cities. Armand Polanski spoke to a question raised earlier - the difficulty in burning redwood bark. In response to Councilmember Riley's concern stated above, he emphasized how rapidly this industry is moving, ash is the least of our problems and a tentative determination has been made that it is not a health problem. He stated that plants such as the proposed one have been working in Europe for years and in the middle of the residential neighborhoods. Mr. Davis, Ukiah, wanted to know the bad things about the project. Mr. Polanski felt there have been problems with project trying to get too fancy too quick and the projects that have had problems are those with mass burners. Mrs. Nyborg asked the life of the dump? Mary Weaver, Ukiah, stated she liked where she lived, did not want to see smoke stacks and did not want truck traffic. She did not feel Ukiah had an acute garbage problem to take the risk of this project. She stated there are no Federal emission standards for garbage powered plants because they are classified as incinerators. Adj .Mtg. 1/27/82 Page 2 64. Don Gehring, Ukiah, felt industrial development in this area is inconsistent with the County General Plan and this proposal is trying to go around the due process of planning. Mr. Titlow stated his project will employ 15 people permanently for 20 years, construction will take 12-18 months and require 50-60 people, construction will cost 5.7 mil.lion dollars, construction materials will be purchased locally and numerous local subcontractors will be required. He stated the proposed site will be located 45' below the present level of the road to the dump and will be impossible to be seen from anywhere on the dump road. Councilmember Riley asked which scenario contained within the feasibility study is recommended? Mr. Titlow stated that none of those recommended. Sharon James, Ukiah, felt the issue to be considered is should the City annex the land so they would be the governing body and felt the only benefit to the City would be additional tax revenue. She felt input from residents of this area would be denied if the property were annexed. Bob Benedict, Hopland, stated the technology of the landfill as a bank where gas can be taken out at a later date had not been discussed. Mr. Delaney, Ukiah, felt that as Ukiah did not have an acute garbage problem, recycling would be more realistic. Tom Goforth, Treasurer, Vichy Hills Power Company, gave examples of plants, as that proposed for Ukiah, operating state wide. He was of the opinion that the present area at the dump is almost filled and the next fill would be down in the canyon with a water filled culvert running through there. Sandy Ledford, Ukiah, asked how many times garbage is delivered to the dump site? Councilmember Riley stated 68.5 tons per day are delivered. Ona Lajoya, Ukiah, asked the potential of receiving poisonous wastes from other areas? Councilmember Riley state that if approval of the plant were granted, it would probably have to be open to that particular type of dumping. Kathy Fowler, Ukiah, expressed concern with the condition of the roads and if they could handle the truck traffic. Councilmember Hickey stated the primary concern is annexation. He stated a great deal of concern has been expressed in not having representation if the property is annexed into the City but pointed out that the people not living in the City had representation at the meeting today. He stated that based on the amount of concern shown, he could not vote in favor of annexation. M/S: Hickey/Riley to not annex Sanitary Disposal Site property as requested by Vichy Hills Power Company. Councilmember Snyder stated her concern regarding annexation is that the City retain control over what happens at the site as the City owns the property. She felt the City would have better control in the lead agency position than in the ownership position and felt the City should retain as much control as possible. She felt people who live in the area who feel they have no representation should know that each councilmember is open to receive all the input from those people. She stated she favored annexation for the reason that the City will retain lead agency position and have more control over what happens on the City's property. Councilmember Feibusch felt the landfill operation was outstanding and an investment that the people of the City have and was of the opinion that annexation would keep control of the property in the City, would gain revenue and extend the life of the dump. Mayor Myers asked why the configuration of 20 acres was chosen? City Manager stated that Vichy Hills Power Company requested 10 acres be annexed and staff Adj .Mtg. 1/27/82 Page 3 added 10 more acres so that the boundaries could be rounded out to accommodate the roadway. Mayor Myers felt other agencies, Ukiah and County Planning Commissions, should be allowed to hear input and felt the impact this project would have on the residents in this area should be very carefully examined. Motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Hickey, Riley, Myers NOES: Feibusch, Snyder ABSENT: None City Manager stated that staff will still operate under the resolution previously adopted by Council in their negotiations with Vichy Hills Power Company. Councilmember Riley felt feasibility of the plant is not an issue in annexation and annexation is no longer the issue. She reminded Council that it should not take a stand on the feasibility of the plant until a staff recommendation is made and negotiations should not continue until Council makes a determination on the feasibility of the plant. Mayor Myers adjourned the meeting to February 1, 1982 at 4:30 P.M. for consideration of Las Casas density bonus. ADJOURNMENT - 5:36 P.M. Mary Melvin Deputy City Clerk Adj .Mtg. 1/27/82 Page 4