Finance panel awards $20.37M Bath Landfill construction bids, authorizes up to $22M bond

The Steuben County Finance Committee on April 14 authorized awarding the Bath Landfill Cell 6A general construction contract to Rifenburg Construction (Marcy Excavating) for $18,355,122 and the electrical contract to MATCO Electric for $904,000, for a total project cost of $20,365,222.

Brian Brewer, Public Works, told the committee the bids came in far higher than expected and attributed the increase to current geopolitical factors that have driven up fuel and construction costs. "In hindsight, with the geopolitical issues, this was the worst time to put this bid out, but we had zero control over any of it," Brewer said. Committee members discussed the risk that delays in construction could force the county to turn away outside garbage if cell capacity runs out.

The committee debated financing options, including bond lengths and possible General Fund contributions. Jack Wheeler, County Manager, said bonding for seven years fits the project's useful life and that the county's modeling shows a principal-and-interest payment near $3.2 million annually under that scenario. "If you did 5 years, then it would be $4 million - $4.8 million a year," Wheeler said. The committee voted 4-0 to authorize the Commissioner of Finance to bond up to $22 million for the project.

Members also discussed adjustments to landfill gate rates and negotiations with outside haulers; Wheeler noted outside haulers provide revenue and that getting them "within 5 percent of the gate rate and guaranteeing tonnage for us, that is huge." The committee approved all bids and the bonding authorization; resolutions will be prepared for the Legislature.