Board approves scope to rebid regional recycling center RFP; grant timeline, phased design discussed

The Taos-area board voted to approve a final scope of work to rebid the regional recycling center request for proposals, moving the project from planning into the consultant selection phase.

Procurement Officer Andrea said the rebid is a refined version of a previously canceled RFP and asked the board to approve the document before it is posted. The scope calls for a program evaluation, rate study, existing facility assessment, centralized facility design, staffing and training recommendations, financial and rate modeling, phased implementation plans, and deliverables suitable for competitive bidding and construction.

"For our program evaluation process assessment, rate study, and facility design, we have where we're requesting them to have a current system evaluation process and improvement," Andrea said, summarizing the RFP requirements.

Board members asked about grant timing and project schedule. One member referenced an $8,000,000 grant and asked when it expires; a municipal representative said the grant likely expires in 2029 but that staff would confirm the date. Andrea said consultants would propose schedules in their responses and that preliminary estimates for plan and design work could range from about three to six months depending on complexity.

After discussion about timing, matching funds and the need to align deliverables with potential funding, a motion to approve the final RFP draft was made, seconded and passed by roll call.

The approved scope is intended to produce construction-ready plans, environmental site assessments required by funding, traffic and utility impact analyses, and a phased implementation plan that can be scaled to available funding. Staff will post the RFP and return with proposals for the board to review.