Prior to 2016, the Delano Energy Plant was the least costly outlet for all recycled wood chips produced by the City’s Mt. Vernon Avenue Greenwaste Facility. Since the 2015 closure of the Delano Energy Plant, the City’s facility has sought alternative outlets. No single outlet can handle the quantity and variety of wood chips produced. Therefore, the facility uses a combination of outlets to take various types and quantities of recycled wood material.
The City entered Agreement No. PW19-036 with Synagro WWT, Inc on March 29, 2019 for $40,000 and amended the agreement on September 11, 2019 to continue accepting woodchips. This type of material accounts for approximately 27 percent of the facility’s production. Keeping it separate from the other types of material is important to make wood chips that meet the specifications of other outlets.
This amendment will increase the compensation by $120,000 for a revised not to exceed amount of $300,000. The costs for this service are part of the Greenwaste Facility program for which Kern County reimburses a pro-rata share. Refuse Enterprise funds provide funding for this agreement, therefore, there is no General Fund impact associated with this amendment.