Oldsmar council authorizes letter declining financial participation in Pinellas County regional biosolids facility

The Oldsmar City Council on Oct. 7 authorized the city manager to draft a letter declining the city’s financial participation in a proposed Pinellas County regional resource recovery facility (RRRF) to process biosolids.

City interim Public Works Director Jana Jan told the council that Pinellas County’s engineering study presented treatment scenarios that would cost Oldsmar between about $660,000 and more than $1 million per year — figures that, she said, do not include hauling fees. “The cost of those scenarios range anywhere from $660,000 to over a million for the city of Oldsmar and that doesn't even include hauling,” Jan said. She added Oldsmar currently produces “approximately 400 dry tons per year” of biosolids and that the city’s current practice is to have a contractor haul and land-apply Class B biosolids under a long-standing arrangement with Appalachian Material Services.

The staff presentation compared the county scenarios with Oldsmar’s historical biosolids costs and showed projected increases ranging roughly 160% to more than 300% above the city’s current budgeted amounts. Jan also identified regulatory uncertainty, particularly potential future limits on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), as a driver of county interest in regional solutions. Jan said Pinellas County hired CDM Smith to produce a feasibility study and that Phase 1 (a preliminary engineering report) is complete; Phase 2 would develop bid specifications and finer cost estimates and would require municipal commitments.

Council members questioned whether participating municipalities would receive a share of any energy or fertilizer products produced at the RRRF and noted the cost differences compared with the city’s current contractor. Councilman Sean Swager asked whether the county discussion included returning renewable energy or fertilizer revenues to participating cities; Jan replied she had not seen that in the county proposal. City staff recommended that Oldsmar decline to join the county’s Phase 2 financial commitments at this time and instead continue with current arrangements while exploring other local or regional options and monitoring regulatory changes.

After discussion, a motion authorizing the city manager to draft a letter declining participation in Pinellas County’s proposed RRRF was made, seconded and approved by the council.

The council's decision declines a commitment to finance design and construction at this stage; the city will continue to rely on its current contractor for hauling and land application and to monitor regulatory developments that could require different treatment approaches in the future.