Tetra Tech Canada Inc. could be tasked with overseeing the proposed expansion to the city’s compost facility at the landfill.

Geoff Quinsey, the city’s manager of water and waste, brought forward the recommendation to award the nearly-$270,000 contract to Tetra at Monday’s council meeting.

As Quinsey recalled in a report to council, the move to expand the compost facility came in 2017. That’s when the city hired a composting expert to assess its operation.

The expert was also tasked with recommending ways to deal with the growth of compost coming in through the city’s compost collection program in recent years as it moves collection to include multi-residential and commercial customers.

“The recommended solution is a facility upgrade, which would address the needed improvements without significantly increasing the operating costs,” Quinsey said.

“The proposed upgrade will add a gravel-surfaced curing/stockpile area north of the existing compost building, and create a new concrete-surfaced processing pad on the existing processing area footprint, including an embedded aeration system, along with structural, mechanical, and electrical upgrades to the site.

“In order to keep up with the growing volume of organic waste as a result of collection from food services, the new concrete pad will need to be constructed in 2019,” Quinsey added.

Tetra was one of two firms to submit proposals for the work, with Morrison Hershfield Ltd. submitting the other.

Under the city’s process for proposals, officials first looked at each firm’s project team, methodology and approach, as well as past relevant experience and performance.

Both met the minimum 80 per cent score to move on to the second part of the evaluation looking at the cost and local preference.

“The highest-scoring proposal was submitted by Tetra Tech Canada Inc.,” Quinsey said.

“The fee proposed by Tetra Tech Canada Inc. (inclusive of travel, disbursements, not including GST) is $269,534.36.”

A separate contract to build the expanded area will come forward at a later date.

The entire project is expected to cost $2.73 million, which has included the previous work, the proposed contract and the construction, Quinsey confirmed in responding to questions from Coun. Samson Hartland, adding that the project is on budget.

The work was approved for more than $87,312 in gas tax funding in 2018 (proposed to now move over to the 2019 budget).

The city, however, will have to seek an amendment to the gas tax agreement based on the amended budget. In the meantime, the budget increase is proposed to be funded from the capital reserve, with the city planning to reimburse the reserve once the anticipated extra gas tax funding comes through.

Coun. Jan Stick questioned whether the city is essentially guaranteed the increase to the gas tax funding.

Peter O’Blenes, the city’s director of infrastructure and operations, confirmed that it won’t likely be an issue, given that the project is already approved for gas tax funding. He did note the city needs to have funds in the reserve for the project.

Quinsey proposed that council approve the contract along with the budget changes. Council will vote on the proposal next week.

In the meantime, work continues on phasing in compost collection for multi-residential homes and food service businesses, Quinsey told council, responding to questions from Coun. Steve Roddick.

That will include three phases for food services this year, with 2020 focused on multi-residential pickups.