R2014-80 ACCEPTING THE BID & AUTHORIZING CONTRACT FOR CORLEY LANDFILL SEDIMENT PLACEMENT

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DEPARTMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT Memorandum No. 2012-13 May 15,2012 TO: Mayor Michael T.McElroy and City Council FROM: Ryan P. McCrady, City Manager Keith D. Alexander,Director of Water Management SUBJECT: Corley Landfill Grant Agreement with State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Council adopt the attached Resolution authorizing a Corley Landfill Grant Agreement with the State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources at a cost not to exceed $4,900 in in-kind services. BACKGROUND: In late 2010 the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) accepted grant proposals for beneficial uses of sediment dredged from Illinois rivers and lakes. At that time City staff submitted a creative proposal to spread Lake Decatur sediment over the City's closed Corley landfill; then establish a stand of native prairie grasses and forbs on the site to be periodically harvested for bioenergy production. Recently IDNR awarded a $245,770 grant to the City for this project. The grant is a bargain as the only matching funds required are $5,500 in cash from the Agricultural Watershed Institute and $4,900 in in-kind services from the City. These services include project & construction management,permit acquisition and site inspections. Due to its highly visible location adjacent to U.S. Business Route 51, the Corley landfill is an ideal site to promote the growth, harvesting and use of native prairie grasses and fortis as a bioenergy fuel source. The Agricultural Watershed Institute, a not for profit institution based in Decatur, has been conducting work for the past four years to promote the use of prairie grasses and other plants on marginal farm ground and other locations to be harvested for alternative energy sources. Lake Decatur dredged sediment has been thoroughly tested for possible contaminants and excessive levels of other compounds. Testing was performed on the sediment both before it was dredged from Lake Decatur and after it had been stored in the City's settling basin. The testing documented that there are no concerns with the chemical composition of the sediment. The project will truck 13,310 cubic yards of Lake Decatur dredged sediment from the City of Decatur's settling basin in Oakley Township to the Corley landfill. Sediment will be spread to a 9" thickness to supplement the landfill's 6"topsoil cover so that 11 acres of native prairie grass and forbs stand can be established for bioenergy crop production.