For more than thirty years, the Windsor-Bloomfield Sanitary Landfill has served the solid waste disposal needs of the towns of Windsor and Bloomfield. Over that period of time, it has evolved from a facility that handled basic disposal needs to one that currently manages the disposal of many different materials.

In February of 2004, the Town Council approved the design for the final landform that it felt presented the best environmental and fiscal options to the residents for the towns of Windsor and Bloomfield. This landform allows for the post-closure uses that were identified by the Landfill Steering Committee and has been incorporated into the final closure plan that has been submitted to the State Department of Environmental Protection for their approval.

In March 2006, the Windsor Town Council determined that the last receipt of waste at the Landfill will be when it reaches current permitted elevations as provided by the designed landform.  By remaining open until the permitted elevations are reached, it is projected there will be adequate retained earnings on-hand plus interest income over 30 years, under present assumptions, to provide sufficient funding for closure and post-closure activities.

Revenues for FY 06 were lower than budgeted for two primary reasons: 1) tonnage of municipal solid waste (MSW) from Windsor was less; and 2) waste from the spot market was lower.  It is believed that both of these reasons are the result of the enforcement of the regional waste disposal contracts by CRRA with the area waste haulers.  Solid waste that had been previously delivered to the Landfill by area haulers from towns that have disposal contracts with CRRA is now being delivered to the regional resource recovery facility in Hartford.  This has the effect of lowering tonnage delivered to the Landfill and reducing revenues to the Enterprise Fund. 

Further, the difference in the tipping fee for MSW between the CRRA facility in Hartford and the Landfill has lessened over the past year.  In addition, the tipping fee for CRRA will be reduced from $70/ton to $69/ton as of July 2006.  As a result, it is recommended that the Landfill not increase its tipping fee for MSW for the next year.  Therefore, the tip fee will remain at $66/ton, which is within 95% of CRRA’s rate.   

Revenues from contaminated soil increased for FY 06 because of the receipt of soil from several sites where the level of contamination was of an amount that was acceptable for disposal at the Landfill.  Revenue from this source is highly variable from year to year. It is contingent upon the number of sites cleaned up, the amount of contamination at the sites, as well as whether the soil can be disposed at the Landfill.   

Interest earnings on the Enterprise Fund balance have increased for FY 06, and are estimated to continue at this higher level for FY 07.  This is the result of higher interest rates, and increasing fund balance.

Total operating expenses are fairly stable from FY 06 to FY 07.  However, there are changes in the various line items.  In Personal Services, costs are anticipated to be higher in FY 07 because of contractual increases and higher health insurance costs.  Capital Outlay expenses will be lower as additional equipment will not be acquired as the Landfill nears the date of the last receipt of waste.  However, more funding is being budgeted in Maintenance and Repairs in order to maintain the equipment already in use at the Landfill.  Energy & Utility costs are higher for FY 06 and are budgeted to be higher in FY 07 because of the increased costs for diesel fuel for the equipment.  Some of the fund balance will be used to pay the costs of a small expansion to the landfill gas collection system.  The system will be expanded into areas that have been filled to approximate final elevations.  This will include the installation of a horizontal collector along a part of the south edge of the Landfill.

Staff continues to identify and attract the additional tonnage needed to reach proper final elevations, as well as meet the financial obligations associated with site closure and post-closure.