Dunn County Facilities Committee moving forward with the idea of leasing the transfer station
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Facilities Committee has told the county’s corporation counsel to move forward with developing a process for leasing the transfer station west of Menomonie on state Highway 29.
Nick Lange, Dunn County corporation counsel, told the facilities committee at the October 26 meeting that he has been taking a cautious approach to the idea of leasing or selling the transfer station.
The nature of the previous use for solid waste and recycling means that the future use of the transfer station will be heavily regulated, he said.
The responsibilities the county will have for the property in the future “will endure for some time,” Lange said.
It is appropriate to move forward with leasing the facility, but the county still must be cautious, he said.
Lange told the facilities committee he is working on setting up a consultation with someone who is familiar with properties like the transfer station.
There is a complex web of federal and state regulations on the use of the property going forward and for the responsibilities of the owner of the property, he said.
If the committee wants to move forward, Lange said, he would meet with Scott Nabbefeld, Dunn County facilities director, to talk about a timetable for leasing the transfer station.
A process must be developed to solicit interest and to focus the potential uses of the facility, which should be narrowly defined, he said.
For example, someone could not build a grocery store on the transfer station property, and in fact, there are many things the property could not be used for, Lange said.
There is a “narrow scope” of activities that would be allowed to operate at the transfer station according to state regulations, he said.
The county will need a lease agreement that defines what is and is not allowed, Lange said.
Over the next several months, Lange said he would put together a plan with Nabbefeld for a Request for Proposals, that he would create a list of limitations and that he would write a draft form of a lease agreement.
Brownfield
Buying or leasing the transfer station would be like buying or leasing an old gas station or another Brownfield site, said Tim Lienau, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of the facilities committee.
Yes, Lange said, the nature of the use is why the state Department of Natural Resources regulates the future use so heavily.
Would leasing the transfer station also result in federal regulations that would have to be followed from the Environmental Protection Agency? Lienau asked.
“It’s a possibility. You never know. We don’t know what we don’t know,” Lange said.
If the transfer station is leased to a business that is similar to what the transfer station was used for, then “it sounds like it will be okay,” said Mike Rogers, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the facilities committee.
State law dictates that the future use must be consistent with the prior use and that it must be a similar activity, Lange said.
The property could not be changed physically. There could be no digging or moving of dirt or tearing down of the existing building or the construction of new buildings, he said.
Timeframe
Rogers asked about the timeframe for developing an RFP so the leasing process could begin.
Two or three months would be realistic, Lange said.
Is December too early? Rogers asked.
January would be better, Lange said, adding that he would try to have something ready by the December meeting of the facilities committee.
Ron Score, county board supervisor from Boyceville and a member of the facilities committee, asked if Dunn County would be responsible for the license for another company to operate the transfer station.
Dunn County would only be responsible for the license if Dunn County were to operate the facility again, Lange said.
Any company that would be leasing the transfer station would pay for the license and other fees, he said.
Someone has suggested that the transfer station could be used for collecting used appliances. Whoever operated the transfer station to collect used appliances would need a license for that. The use would be limited by what the company leasing the transfer station is licensed to do, Lange said.
Ordinances
One facilities committee member asked if Dunn County’s solid waste and recycling ordinance would be in effect for whoever leased the transfer station.
The county might have to write a new ordinance based on the new use for the transfer station, Lange said.
The limitations will be linked to regulation by the DNR and zoning. The new use may require a conditional use permit or a special exception permit, he said, adding that he would check into whether Dunn County would need an ordinance to lease the transfer station.
In response to a question about whether Dunn County could require the company leasing the transfer station to make the site open to the community, Lange said the range of uses for the transfer station is limited, but as the owner of the property, Dunn County could say that in addition to radios, for example, the company leasing the transfer station must also take televisions, kitchen appliances and computers to maximize the value and the services to the community.
Clean Sweep
Could Dunn County require someone leasing the transfer station to have a Clean Sweep collection of toxic substances? Lienau asked.
Dunn County could express a preference for someone to conduct a Clean Sweep and it could be expressed as being a desirable service to offer, Lange said.
Lease amount
Is there an idea of the amount that it would cost to lease the transfer station? Score asked.
Lange said he was still gathering information about what would be an acceptable price for the lease.
Does the lease have to go to the highest bid, or could it be negotiable for the best price? Rogers asked.
There is no requirement for the lease to go to the highest bidder. The amount can be whatever the Dunn County Board believes is the best benefit to the county, Lange said.
New plan
A representative for GFL Environmental Inc., the company that bought Menomonie Disposal, said the company would be interested in leasing the transfer station.
A new plan of operations must be created, and it would take time to submit a plan to the state and to have it reviewed, he said.
Six months after the RFPs have been received, the facility might be ready to be opened, the GFL representative said.
December might also be too ambitious for a plan to move forward, considering the work that is involved and with the holidays coming up, he said.
Nabbefeld asked if the facilities committee had objections to him giving tours of the transfer station, noting that he has been asked by several individuals and that it would be better to give tours before the transfer station is covered in snow.
There is no reason not to do tours of the transfer station, Lange said, adding that Nabbefeld should see if he could have more than one person at a showing so that he is not “constantly driving over there to do tours.”
Lange said he would have a plan on how to move forward ready by the January meeting and would also have a draft of a lease agreement.
Dunn County Solid Waste & Recycling ceased operations December 31, 2020.
