News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz On Thursday, the Northeast Michigan Materials Management Authority (NMMMA) board met to discuss updates and operations of the recycling facility. The board agreed to award an equipment bid to MachineX, a Canadian based company, for the new facility.

ALPENA — The Northeast Michigan Materials Management Authority (NMMMA) board met on Thursday to discuss updates regarding the facility and operations, which included a Request for Proposal (RFP) award for equipment that will be used in the new recycling facility.

Two representatives from MachineX, a materials management equipment company based in Quebec, Canada, joined the meeting to review parameters of their RFP bid.

Bailey Barr, NMMMA executive director, told the board that the total cost of the equipment bid would be $1.893 million, before tariffs. Several board members expressed concern regarding tariffs affecting that price, so the board decided to factor in an extra $180,000.

Barr explained that the down payment for the equipment would be 10% of the total cost.

“There’s two options … they can just bill us for whatever they can charge that comes over, or we can include that out of the gate and they can give us a credit back,” Barr explained. “Essentially, some things are getting tariffed across, some aren’t.”

Rachel Smolinski, NMMMA treasurer, stated it would be best to account for the full amount since they are having to reissue the RFP for the site construction, following plans added per USDA requirements. Smolinski explained that to issue bonds, which will pay for the upgraded facility, the board will need to know how much to request in the RFP.

“This is kind of the first piece in that,” Smolinski added.

Smolinski recommended that the board include the $180,000 into the final RFP award to MachineX.

“Before we can issue the bonds, we need to be able to know what our site construction number comes back to for the site and the building,” Smolinski said. “We really can’t say, ‘Hey, let’s issue the bonds before that.'”

Smolinski explained to the MachineX representatives that NMMMA will not have “the money down until we issue those bonds.”

“Which could be the end of the year, because there’s a process that you have to go through,” Smolinski added.

Smolinski confirmed with the MachineX representatives that NMMMA’s down payment for their equipment bid will be 10% of the final cost. That final cost will account for the tariffs, equaling $2.073,000 million.

Barr also mentioned the possibility of leasing a single cab pickup truck for potentially $750 a month for the recycling facility. The facility will use this truck to plow snow and haul bales of materials.

According to Barr, NMMMA paid $5,000 to plow their lot last year at the “cheapest rate.”

“Which kind of kills me,” Barr said.

Barr said it was difficult to find dealerships that would lease a single cab truck to the facility. Fortunately, Alpena GMC was willing to work with NMMMA.

“All these places are like, ‘What are you going to use a single cab truck for?'”

Barr explained that the potential wear on the vehicle deterred most dealerships. However, Alpena GMC offered NMMMA a leasing option, with flexibility to put money down to reduce the monthly payment.

“If we put two grand down it would lower the payment to $550,” Barr said. “There’s options.”

Smolinski expressed her hesitation about agreeing to the lease at Thursday’s meeting citing budget concerns.

“I want to look at those numbers again and as we get into the budget for next year … I want to look and try and incorporate that into that budget,” Smolinski added. “So let’s talk.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.