Whereas, the applications and permitting to construct and operate an expansion of the City’s existing landfill located on Rapp Road in the City of Albany, together with mitigation related to the expansion, referred to as Eastern Expansion, is before the Common Council for deliberation; and
Whereas, since 1990 there have been multiple expansions of the Rapp Road landfill, duly requiring the Common Council to approve certain financings, permitting and other actions attendant to these expansions to support construction and mitigation; and

Whereas, each of the expansion approvals since 1990 have recognized the need for a detailed and sustainable alternative to further landfill expansions; and heretofore over the course of those 20 years the need for further expansions has not dissipated and the Common Council is prepared to undertake the necessary steps to address the City’s solid waste and burgeoning financial issues; and
Whereas, the present Eastern Expansion was approved under strict conditions by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that no further expansion would be permitted and authorized; and

Whereas, the City of Albany serves as the lead agent for the Planning Unit comprised of the cities, towns and villages that comprise the Capital Region Solid Waste Management Partnership Planning Unit (“Planning Unit”); and
Whereas, the City of Albany, on behalf of the Planning Unit has issued a Capital Region Solid Waste Plan (“the Plan”) to present a long range solid waste strategy for the City of Albany and the municipalities that comprise the Planning Unit; and

Whereas, the Plan stresses the importance of a regional approach to solid waste planning, and also acknowledges the present Planning Unit continues to operate as an informal consortium with the City of Albany as lead participant; and

Whereas, the Plan describes a number of important milestones that have been mandated with respect to the expiration of certain permitting, years with respect to disposal capacity and timeline constraints by which certain recycling and diversion goals must be met to avoid violating the mandate that no further expansion will be authorized; and

Whereas, the Common Council in its review and deliberations of the financing and construction of the Easter Expansion recognizes the critical need to establish specific timetables for the letting of certain actions that are vital to the City and the region to break the cycle of further expansions and to institute a plan for a sustainable alternative to landfill expansion; and

Whereas, the Common Council in setting these plans wants to maximize economic development opportunities to all of its citizenry and ensure that all of the City’s economic infrastructure has been fully utilized; and
Whereas, by implementation of these measures, the City of Albany, as lead participant of the Planning Unit will be positioned to pursue all of the federal and state funding opportunities available to support the deployment of the latest technologies and job creation;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED…………..
Common Council desires to establish specific Zero Waste goals tied to future landfill funding requirements such that at the conclusion of the final expansion…a fully actionable program is underway in the Greater Albany Capital District these goals shall specifically include the following detailed implementation recommendations:

1. Achieve total Capital District recycling penetration rate of 47% of the total generated waste volume thru operation of single stream processing facilities located in the Capital region, preferably within the city of Albany.

2. Achieve total Capital District waste diversion rate of 65% by 2016, building on the SWMP’s plan to increase the effectiveness of public education of recycling opportunities and establishing a clear pathway to move the Capital District to Zero Waste.

3. Enter into a long term Public Private Partnership with the private sector and other local stakeholders to affect a 10 year plan to achieve these Zero Waste goals.

4. The City of Albany 2011 Budget planning process must acknowledge and reflect the diminishing capacity of the landfill as a revenue stream over the course of the next 10 years. Finally, we must institute full cost accounting for landfill operations. The implementation of this Public Private Partnership will accelerate the achievement of the goals and objectives in SWMP.

5. Each fiscal year, the City of Albany as lead agent working with the members of the Planning Unit shall work together to solicit capital investment from federal and state grant funding opportunities and the private sector to construct and operate this recycling and processing capacity in exchange for long term commitment on waste stream. Successfully obtaining such funding shall accelerate the achievement of the goals and objectives in the SWMP, while reducing the capital burden on the City of Albany, as the host of the Rapp Road Landfill and other solid waste facilities.

6. The City of Albany shall enter into a Host Community Agreement in coordination with the City’s annual planning and budgeting cycle that provides a revenue share for every ton diverted to recycling processing or energy recovery.

7. Establish a long term natural Resource Recovery Park located at industrial property in the Capital Region, preferably within the City of Albany for downstream product manufacturing and energy recovery derived from diverted waste, creating green jobs and strengthening the economic development of the District to be operational no later than January 1, 2016.

8. Develop a Waste Conversion facility that would further minimize landfill disposal, converting waste into green products and green energy to be operational by January 1, 2016.

9. That the City of Albany designate an agency to issue Requests for Proposal in accordance with these conditions to accomplish the goals, objectives, and milestones set forth in this Resolution such that the Request For Proposal requires that the prospective vendor address specifically with respect to employment the importance of programs to foster community relations, support and opportunities for working people in the community and provide employment opportunities with respect to minorities, women and the economically disadvantaged, including job training programs.