submitted by Orcas Recycling Services

Three years ago, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2013, a massive fire consumed The Exchange. In memory of that event, the Orcas Recycling Services board has decided to update the community on the progress of the rebuild.

“We have been collecting questions from the community for several months now on our website, on our Facebook page, and at the super market for that matter, ” says ORS board president Tim Blanchard. “The idea was to build a Frequently Asked Questions page on our website to address these questions, and keep it updated as new questions come up.”

The FAQ page, which you can find here, addresses all kinds of issues from “What’s the timeline for opening a new Exchange?” to “Have you looked into financing options for The Exchange?” to “Will ORS have a long-term lease?”

“The FAQ addresses many questions, including some of the challenging questions we have been wrestling with about how we can get this done,” says Blanchard. “Our intention has always been to be as transparent as possible, and this FAQ page will help us do that.”

If the community would like to submit a question to the FAQ, ORS asks that you send your question to info@exchnageorcas.org with ‘FAQ’ in the subject line.

For more on ORS, The Exchange, the Orcas Island Waste Stream, to donate, to volunteer–visit their website, at www.exchangeorcas.org.

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Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange FAQ

What is Orcas Recycling Services?

Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) is the organization that has operated The Exchange reuse center at the Orcas Island Transfer Station (OITS) since its formation in 1984. In September 2013, ORS, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, took over management of the entire Transfer Station. We have run the transfer station successfully for two and a half years now, adding well over a million dollars to the local economy in the process. Our mission is to “build a zero waste community through service, education and stewardship of Orcas Island’s waste and resource streams.” You can see a list of key staff and board members here.

What is The Exchange?

In 1984, a group of community activists created Orcas Island’s legendary reuse center: The Exchange. Starting out as a one-room cabin on the grounds of the Orcas Transfer Station, The Exchange grew organically into a whimsical collection of sheds, tents, and handmade structures filled with useful items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Most importantly, it was a source of affordable goods for struggling families. Over the years The Exchange redirected and redistributed thousands of tons of material out of the waste stream and back into the community. Sadly, The Exchange was destroyed by a fire in February, 2013.

What’s the timeline for opening a new Exchange?

We expect to have building permits for the new Exchange building in March 2016. If funding is in place at that time, we could sign a contract with the building manufacturer and construction would begin. We don’t know for a fact when the funding will be sufficient to sign the contract, but when it is, and the construction company is available to do the work, we expect construction to only take a few months.

Your fundraising target for The Exchange project is $593,000. How did you arrive at that number?

The building design and budget was generated with much public input and study by our board and advisors, our architect and project manager. We believe it is a conservatively high number—it includes all materials and labor at full price (none donated), as well as contingency and a few months of operating capital to help us get started. We expect to be able to reduce this estimate using donated labor and materials when permissible. You can see the breakdown of the budget here. The building cost is about $92 per square foot—very low for construction on Orcas Island.

That seems like a lot of money…couldn’t you use more local volunteer labor?

We plan to use volunteers wherever we can (you can sign up here. The fact is, however, that because the building we be constructed on County-owned Property, ORS must comply with prevailing wage rules. This is State law, and cannot be circumvented. The costs of prevailing wages are figured into the budget.

ORS/The Exchange received County grant funding to upgrade the Transfer Station. What happened to those funds?

In 2014 and 2015 we received approximately $70,000 in PFFAP grant funding from San Juan County to upgrade the traffic flow at the Transfer Station. These funds were restricted for use on the roads, and could not be used for The Exchange. Road construction was completed in December 2015, and these funds have been spent.

Will the building be heated?

The main Exchange building will not be heated. There is a small, attached office/workshop that will have heat and utilities. You can see that in the drawings here.

Have you looked into financing options for The Exchange?

We are looking at all our options, including fundraising, and grants. We are considering both private lending scenarios and local bank financing. We are also currently exploring the possibility that San Juan County could build the building (since it will be on their property) and lease it to ORS for The Exchange under a long-term lease. NONE of these scenarios is certain. They all have potential pit-falls, and require further negotiations and financial analysis. The ORS Board is working to secure advantageous arrangements so that we can move forward. In any case, The Exchange will need additional financial support from the community, and thus we will continue to encourage and accept contributions from our community and supporters.

Will ORS have a long-term lease?

ORS is working on a long-term lease arrangement with San Juan County, but an arrangement and specific terms of such an agreement have not yet been negotiated. ORS looks forward to a lease arrangement to assure the The Exchange has a long-term home at the Transfer Station.

Will the rules of The Exchange be the same as before?

The Board’s intention is to keep much of the “pay what you think it’s worth” or “pay what you can” model that was widely appreciated at the old Exchange. However, as a 501(c)(3) organization, ORS now offers tax deductions for more valuable items. Some things will have price tags or “suggested donations” attached to them.

How will you handle the initial onslaught of material?

We are well aware that there is a lot of stuff in people’s garages out there, and we are thrilled! We are considering different ways to pace that input in the beginning. Many volunteers will be needed to help sort out the expected “tsunami” (click here to sign up). The guidelines and timelines for accepting goods will be well publicized and available through our e-mail newsletter and website.

I’ve heard rumors that in the past Exchange staff took all the best stuff, and even sold some of it online. How will you control that?

The ORS board and management is very aware of the perception that some staff historically took the best incoming materials for their own benefit. We are committed to ensuring that this will not be the case at the new Exchange. And will have strict rules in place governing this issue.

Does ORS/The Exchange plan to use funds generated by the OITS to fund The Exchange?

ORS believes that that The Exchange will be self-sustaining. We will track the revenues and expenses of the transfer station business and the Exchange separately to avoid inappropriate cross-subsidization (either way). ORS is a non-profit organization committed to reducing waste and good stewardship of our waste resources. To achieve our goals ORS must efficiently handle both reuse (traditionally thought of as The Exchange activity) and recycling (a traditional Transfer Station function). Materials will flow from one side to the other. It would be difficult and inefficient to build a barrier between The Exchange and other ORS activities at the Transfer Station.

At ORS we believe that part of our mission is to manage the Transfer Station operations as effectively and efficiently as possible, to help avoid increased tipping fees. We are also committed to helping the community save money by helping everyone to reduce or redirect their own household waste stream, and avoid unnecessary garbage fees.

Has the County blocked or interfered with the re-opening The Exchange?

No. The County, the County Council, Public Works and the Community Development Department have been helpful to ORS all along. Of course, things do move slower than one might wish from time to time. That is the way it goes when you play by the book. ORS/The Exchange is held to all the same rules, codes and standards that any business would be.

How can I help?

Thanks for asking! Community volunteers are essential to the new Exchange, and we would love your help. We have a detailed database of volunteers, their skills and interests, and anyone interested in helping can sign up here. The new Exchange needs people with every kind of skill: from artists to builders to farmers to fundraisers to lawyers to engineers to scientists – so please get in touch!

The Orcas Recycling Services Board Of Directors:

TIM BLANCHARD, President

LARRY CODDINGTON, Vice President

SUSAN MALINS

MICHAEL GREENBERG

BRUCE RYLANDER, Treasurer

MARK MAYER

KATE HANSEN, Secretary

PETE MOE, Executive Director