Grant Request

A conceptual design was developed and preliminary and final grant applications were submitted to the OEA requesting approval of a CAP Grant to provide funding assistance for the project. Included in these submittals, support from all of the Counties through:

  • Financial projections
  • Project estimates
  • Resolutions
  • Technical feasibility
  • Timelines
  • Waste supply documentation

Costs

Before finalizing the financial analysis and grant application, an RFP was issued to determine equipment cost estimates for a conceptual design. Other design alternatives would also be considered. The RFP requested:

  • Building size
  • Manpower requirements
  • Projected annual O&M costs
  • Supportive equipment

The project team evaluated markets and determined they were available and competitive although distance was a concern from our location. The markets were found to vary substantially prompting a very conservative approach to revenue projections. 

Steam sales were considered to remain consistent since production was calculated to be unaffected since mainly non-burnable (no or low BTU) materials were being removed.

Financial Analysis

The project team elected not to stick its neck out too far so assumptions for the financial analysis considered removing about half of the aluminum, ferrous, and corrugated materials as appeared available from the waste sorts, and then used very conservative market values to calculate annual revenues.

Projections

The financial analysis projections used conservative revenues from the:

  • Added O&M costs for the MRF
  • Historical steam sales
  • New debt service
  • Reduced O&M for the WTE facility
  • Sales of recyclables

The analysis indicated a break even thereby having no negative impact on the tip fee.

Presentation to Solid Waste Management Advisory Board

Armed with all of this, Polk County made a presentation to the Solid Waste Management Advisory Board (a citizens group appointed to review and recommend projects for Grant funding) to obtain a recommendation for the OEA to award a Grant to Polk County for this project.

After the presentation was given, the recommendation was made and a Grant was eventually awarded. This was a major step since the Grant monies would fund almost half of the capital costs for the project.