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Portage County staff say $3.7 million HUD grant will fund solid-waste compactor, fire suppression and facility upgrades
Summary
County staff told the Space and Properties Committee they secured a nearly $3.7 million federal community-project grant to expand capacity at the county’s solid-waste transfer and recycling facility, funding compactors, a compactor bay, structural and floor repairs and, if funds allow, new fire suppression.
Amanda, a county solid-waste staff member, told the Portage County Space and Properties Committee the project received a federal community project funding award “just shy of $3,700,000, to be exact,” and that the funds must be spent by 2032.
The award, selected for funding in the 2024 federal budget and administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will pay for two compactors (one for solid waste, one for recycling), compaction trailers, construction of a compactor bay, floor and structural repairs and fire-suppression systems for the recycling facility.
County presenters said the compactors and trailers should materially reduce hauling costs and increase hauling efficiency: Amanda said a compaction trailer can hold about 50% more recyclables than the existing open-top trailers and that compacting could reduce transfer facility airspace usage by about 30% and increase the amount of material carried per trip by roughly 30–40%, depending on material consistency. The grant also aims to protect aged facility walls and floors and add fire suppression to address lithium-ion battery ignition risks at the recycling pile.
Presenter/Staff member (Speaker 4) said the county is running an RFP for a designer and a separate RFP for a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). Contracts and procurement decisions for the compactors and related installation are expected to come to the committee in November. The presenter also said the county will use its project website to keep the public updated on procurement documents and progress.
Committee members clarified funding mechanics: staff said the project is funded by the grant and that if the project exceeds grant dollars the county enterprise fund balance could cover additional costs. Chair and committee members discussed presenting budget figures quarterly to reflect seasonal billing lags and agreed the next public report should capture quarter-end figures.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the project during this meeting. The county will return with procurement contracts and design agreements for committee review and potential approval in coming meetings.
