The request of staff for City Council is to review and consider for approval the attached ITB19-008 bid award and contract for the WWTP biosolids hauling and disposal services.  This contract has an initial term of one year from the date of execution and automatically will be renewed for an additional one year term unless either party gives written notice of cancellation.

The WWTP generates about 7,000 tons of biosolids or sludge annually as a by-product of the treatment process. This material must be transported and treated to FDEP standards prior to disposal. Our facility is not equipped to provide this level of biosolids treatment and the cost to transport the material to disposal sites makes it impractical for the City to perform this task in-house. 

On March 29, 2019 a sealed bid was opened and publically read aloud. The single bid was from Merrell Bros. Inc. at $57.91 per ton.  As a comparison, in 2015 Pasco County Utilities went out to bid and awarded a disposal contract at a rate of $56.46 a ton.  In addition, while this was the only bid submitted to the City, Merrell Bros. Inc. has provided this service to the City for the past 10 years. They have been dependable and no complaints have been filed against the contractor by staff or the public.  Merrell Bros. Inc. is currently providing the same service for Pasco County and co-operate, co-own the biosolids disposal site located off of Hays Road in Pasco County. This is a large company with the resources and experience needed to provide a high level of service to perform this task.