Landfill fees may increase next year

City officials are taking a preliminary step that could lead to a rise in landfill rates next year.

Studies show the Carson City Landfill has a life span of at least 18 years, said Environmental Health Director Daren Winkleman. The landfill has been operated without a contract since July 1996 by Waste Management Inc. and city officials are beginning to look for a contractor to run the landfill.

Carson City supervisors will consider Thursday approval of a $61,700 engineering consulting contract with SECOR International Inc. to help define bid guidelines the contractor will follow.

SECOR will lay out how the landfill is to be developed, the bid specifications and assist the city in choosing a contractor.

"What it amounts to is we're trying to give everybody the best option at the least cost for as long as we can," Deputy Health Director Ken Arnold said.

Rates at the landfill now are about $2.65 per cubic yard, which equals roughly $8.70 per ton, Arnold said. Sometime next year, probably when the new contractor takes over, rates will rise to $11.10 per ton, Arnold said.

The rate increase will go toward the $6.3 million needed to close the landfill under federal regulations. The landfill takes between $1.3 million and $1.4 million to run annually, said city Finance Director David Heath.

Heath said the landfill is estimated to cost about $1.8 million to run under a new contractor. He said the city postponed a rate hike a year until contract details could be worked out.

If the contract is approved, Winkleman said, details from SECOR should be available by January and new management could be in place by July 2000.

Supervisors will also discuss:

- A $96,000 contract for design work on a Curry Street extension and widening project.

- A Carson City Metro Business Activity report presentation by Brian Bonnenfant of the College of Business Administration, University of Nevada, Reno. The report gives information about Carson's traffic conditions, demographics, population, retail sales, employment and more that city officials hope will help attract new business to Carson City.

- Name change for a short section of Goni Road to Consolidated Way.

If you go:

What: Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting

When: Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

Where: Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.