Personally, I am disappointed that the supervisors have approved to pay a consultant $275,000 to help negotiate a deal for the construction of the proposed Material Resource Recovery Facility (MRF) at Tajiguas. And the dismissive attitude shown those who attended the meeting to oppose this effort is also disappointing. Opponents' logic is sound — why would the county agree to pay $140 million to private developers with no experience with the design and construction of a MRF? (Many pronounce MRF as "mirf.")
Briefly, a MRF is a technology-driven sorting facility that sifts through trash and can capture wayward bits and pieces of valuable materials and properly route them for reuse or recycling rather than ending up in the landfill. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash going in by removing errant objects of value. Less trash buried will extend the life of Tajiguas.
I honestly can’t say that I’ve researched all the facts associated with government-run projects, but I would hazard a guess that most run over budget. This development will no doubt do the same. Is Santa Barbara County so financially stable that it can commit millions to such a project? The public should know how this investment will “pencil out”: how long before we, meaning the taxpayers, will see a return on our investment and what form will it take?