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Haverhill approves easement and amended cost‑share with AmRise for northern landfill cap and recreation fields
Summary
The council authorized a 50‑year easement with AmRise and approved an amended cost‑sharing agreement that makes the city responsible for recreation‑field costs while keeping most cap and monitoring costs at a 50/50 split with AmRise.
The City Council voted to accept an easement from AmRise (formerly Wholesome Aggregate) to allow the city access, parking and future athletic fields on the capped northern mound of the municipal landfill, and also approved an updated cost‑sharing agreement governing closure, monitoring and maintenance.
DPW Director Robert Ward said the easement is 50 years with automatic year‑to‑year renewals unless AmRise gives the city three years’ notice. The easement includes payment/termination options if AmRise elects to terminate after year 20: either a prorated lump sum payment (he cited $1,250,000 prorated down from year 20 to year 50) or a revenue‑share arrangement in which the city would receive 50% up to a specified threshold and 15% thereafter for certain net revenues. Ward discussed that potential revenue streams could include energy storage or other uses, though he said the prospect is uncertain.
Under the amended cost‑sharing agreement, the historic 50/50 split remains for most landfill assessments, closures and monitoring. The city will fund 100% of costs for the proposed recreation fields, associated parking and access road and will assume operation and maintenance responsibilities for those items. Lot 26, a parcel AmRise owns that was rated unrelated waste, will be funded by AmRise. The council approved both the easement and the amended cost‑share agreement in separate roll calls (each 10–0 with 1 absent).
Councilors asked whether the city receives pilot fees or lease fees from solar panels already on site; Ward confirmed a lessee pays pilot and lease fees. Several members asked about resident feedback and the historical soil‑trucking issues; Ward said little recent resident feedback has been received about the northern mound but noted the earlier soils project generated community concern.
The votes authorize the mayor to execute the related agreements and direct staff to proceed with bidding and implementation steps described in the agreements.
