Kenai Peninsula landfill shredder would cost $500,000 more than the Assembly budgeted

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche has asked the Assembly for another $500,000 to buy a mobile shredder for bulky waste at the Central Peninsula Landfill. That would bring the project to $1.3 million, more than 60% above the $800,000 the Assembly budgeted in June.

The Assembly holds a public hearing on the ordinance Nov. 10.

Solid Waste Director Scott Griebel wrote the memo explaining the increase. In June, as an Assembly member, he joined the 9-0 vote approving the budget that included the original $800,000. He resigned his seat effective July 7, and his confirmation as director is on the same Nov. 10 agenda.

The $800,000 was based on the median price of comparable machines, Griebel wrote, but those weren't specifically designed for the extreme duty the borough's unit will see. The department chose a unit through a best-value review, finding it would have higher capacity and lower maintenance costs than the competing units. Other municipalities that use shredders confirmed it is more durable, he wrote.

The department expects the shredder to cut the mass of the waste it handles by more than 70%, stretching the space in landfill cells. The vendor has also warned of a manufacturer price increase at the start of 2027, according to the ordinance.

Bulky waste is one of the most difficult and costly things many U.S. landfills handle, the borough's budget page for the project says. Furniture, mattresses and appliances are common causes of higher operating costs and shorter landfill cell life. The page also pitches shredders as a way to turn hard-to-handle materials into landscape mulch, biomass fuel and compost.

The original $800,000 was listed as local money. The added $500,000 would come from Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds, U.S. Treasury grants created by the American Rescue Plan Act. The borough was awarded $12 million of them in October 2022, according to a borough memo.