Number
250139
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
131795
Sponsor
THE CHAIR
Title
Resolution to terminate the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement Between Waukesha County and the City of Milwaukee regarding a Regional Recycling System for Processing and Marketing Recyclables.
Body
Whereas, Common Council file number 131795 approved the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement Between Waukesha County and the City of Milwaukee regarding a Regional Recycling System for Processing and Marketing Recyclables in April 2014; and
Whereas, Construction and operating contracts were approved and executed in May of 2014, commencing construction of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to jointly serve the City of Milwaukee and Waukesha County (Joint MRF) which was completed in 2015, and the MRF began processing recyclables in March of 2015; and
Whereas, On May 31, 2023, after over eight years of successful operation, the Joint MRF experienced a major fire which left the MRF significantly damaged, rendering it unable to accept and process recyclable material; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee and Waukesha County concurrently terminated their respective MRF operating contracts on August 18, 2023, under Casualty to the Joint MRF contract provisions; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee and Waukesha County, under the business continuity plan developed by the City/County Representatives, the primary administrative and managerial body tasked with overseeing all aspects of the Joint MRF, agreed to coordinate alternative recyclable material hauling and processing at other locations due to the significant damage to the Joint MRF; and
Whereas, a MRF feasibility study was commissioned by the City and County to analyze the capital costs and annual operating costs and revenues estimated under various scenarios of rebuilding a public MRF versus transferring recyclables to a private MRF for processing; and
Whereas, The study findings did not provide clear support for rebuilding a MRF under current market conditions and regional processing capacity, and the City/County Representatives agreed to pursue mutual termination of the Intergovernmental Collaboration Agreement; and
Whereas, Waukesha County released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for private processing of its own collected recyclable material that resulted in a 10-year private processing contract, and Enrolled Ordinance 180 005 approved the contract and also terminated the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between the City of Milwaukee and Waukesha County, effective April 30, 2025; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement between the City of Milwaukee and Waukesha County regarding a Regional Recycling System for Processing and Marketing Recyclables is terminated; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of Public Works and the City Comptroller are directed to take whatever steps are necessary to fulfill the intent of this resolution and to execute the winding up tasks cited in the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement.
Drafter
Sanitation Services Manager, Rick Meyers
RM
05/06/25