Public Hearing 4:18pm

RESOLUTION 162 – 2018

Introduced by Supervisors Tollisen, Allen, DeLucia, Lent, Pemrick, Szczepaniak, and Wright

SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF A REGIONAL BIOSOLIDS DIGESTER FACILITY BY SARATOGA COUNTY SEWER DISTRICT NO. 1 IN COOPERATION WITH THE ALBANY COUNTY WATER PURIFICATION DISTRICT

WHEREAS, by proceedings heretofore duly had and taken pursuant to Article 5-A of the County Law, the Board of Supervisors of Saratoga County, New York, established a county sewer district designated and known as Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1, in said County (the “District”); and

WHEREAS, for a variety of technical and financial reasons, the District was unable to comply with new federal Title V air regulations pertaining to the incineration of sludge/biosolids at the District’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, and as a consequence thereof, terminated operations of the Plant’s sludge incinerator on March 20, 2016; and

WHEREAS, as a result of ceasing operations of its sludge incinerator, the District had to retain the services of a commercial hauler to remove, transport and dispose of sludge/biosolids from its Treatment Plant, which services are currently being provided pursuant to Resolution 137-2017 at a cost of $90.76 per wet ton, plus a surcharge of $10 per wet ton for each ton collected and transported above 430 wet tons per week; and

WHEREAS, as a result of discussions between officials from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (“NYSERDA”), the Albany County Water Purification District (“ACWPD”), and the District, NYSERDA, ACWPD and the District agreed in principle to commission a study to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a regional biosolids digester facility, and to share the costs of performing said feasibility study in the following percentages: NYSERDA-50%, ACWPD-25%, and the District-25%; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 135-2017, this Board authorized the execution of a cooperative agreement between the County of Albany, on behalf of the Albany County Water Purification District, and the County of Saratoga, on behalf of the District, to commission the feasibility study relative to the possible construction and operation of a regional biosolids digester facility, and to share the costs of the study in the foregoing percentages; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 136-2017, the County entered into an agreement with Arcadis of New York, Inc. for the preparation of the feasibility study, at a cost to the County of $25,000; and

WHEREAS, the feasibility study has been completed by Arcadis of New York, Inc., reviewed by the members of the Saratoga County Sewer District Commission and the Albany County Water Purification District’s Board of Commissioners, and filed with the Board of Supervisors pursuant to Section 268 of the County Law in relation to a proposed increase and improvement of the facilities of said District; and

WHEREAS, the feasibility study has determined that the construction of a regional biosolids handling facility, to be located at the existing site of the ACWPD North Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Village of Menands, would provide a long-term, cost-effective and environmentally friendly means for Albany and Saratoga Counties to dispose of sludge/biosolids, provide for energy recovery, and result in significant annual savings for both the ACWPD and the District; and

WHEREAS, the Saratoga County Sewer District Commission and the Albany County Water Purification District’s Board of Commissioners have recommended that the County of Saratoga and the County of Albany enter into an intermunicipal agreement to construct and operate said regional biosolids handling facility and thereby increase and improve the facilities of the District, at a total maximum estimated cost of $48,500,000 as more fully described in the Feasibility Study and estimate of cost prepared in relation thereto. The plan of finance provides for the County and the County of Albany to each pay fifty percent (50%) of said estimated maximum cost of $48,500,000, or $24,250,000 each. The County’s $24,250,000 portion of said estimated maximum cost is proposed to be financed through issuance of bonds by Saratoga County on behalf of the District; and

WHEREAS, the annual net cost to the typical property in said District as a result of such costs has been estimated to be $3.93; and

WHEREAS, all conditions precedent to the financing of such objects or purposes, including compliance with the provisions of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, have been performed; and

WHEREAS, it would appear that the construction of said sewer facility improvements would be in the best interests of the people of the County of Saratoga residing within the boundaries of Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the provisions of County Law §§254 and 268, a public hearing be and the same hereby is called upon the proposal by Saratoga County Sewer District No. 1 to construct, operate and maintain a regional biosolids digester facility in cooperation with the Albany County Water Purification District at the Albany County Water Purification District’s North Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Village of Menands, as described in the Feasibility Study prepared by Arcadis of New York, Inc.; said public hearing to be held on July 11, 2018 at 4:18 p.m. at the chambers of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, 40 McMaster Street, in the Village of Ballston Spa, New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors is hereby authorized and directed to cause a notice of said public hearing to be published at least once, the first publications thereof to be not less than ten (10) days nor more than twenty (20) days before the date set therein for the public hearing, in “The Saratogian” and “The Daily Gazette”, each of said newspapers having been designated the official newspapers of the County for such publication; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately.

BUDGET IMPACT STATEMENT:  No budget impact.