By DAVID COLBURN

News editor

Former county commissioner Leroy Wetta visited the courthouse Monday morning to register a complaint with the current commission.

Wetta had come from the transfer station. He objected when one of the workers asked to weigh Wetta’s load. If it exceeded 300 pounds, an additional charge would be incurred.

That apparently didn’t sit well with Wetta.

“In my garden, I put up a two-by-two and one-by-one fence to contain my blackberries,” he said. “I broke it up and went in to try to get rid of it today, and he wants to charge me.

“I pay $81 annually to use that transfer station. It’s the first time I’ve tried to use it this year, and I drove all the way from Peabody to do it.”

Wetta said he wanted to know the limit for free dumping.

“The way it was described to me was a 30-gallon trash can, what you get into that, times two,” commissioner Dan Holub said.

Clerk Tina Spencer asked whether the load was considered construction and demolition material.

“Normally when it’s just trash there’s not an issue,” she said.

Commissioner Randy Dallke said standards were needed.

“We take whole houses of carpet,” he said. “It sort of makes you wonder when you bring in some and you see a load go in and they don’t go over the scales.”

Spencer scanned a manual in vain for clarification.

“I have my complaint in,” Wetta said. “You’re going to get it back. I’m going to take it home and I’m going to break it up and you’re going to get it back in my trash.”

Spencer handed Wetta a business card.

“This is Bud Druse, he’s the director of the transfer station, and if you give him a call he can probably explain,” she said. “I think you’re allowed a certain amount before they charge you, and I don’t know what that is. It doesn’t say in here.”

Wetta left after asking if Druse was at the weed department.

Druse spoke to the commission that afternoon. He said he hadn’t talked to Wetta.

“I was out looking at weeds,” he said.

Druse said he heard that Wetta went back to the transfer station with his load to get weighed.

“He walked in with his checkbook in his hand,” Druse said. “They weighed him. It was about 280 pounds.”

Druse said the limit was 300 pounds, so Wetta didn’t have to pay anything. If a load goes over the limit, the charge would be $2 for each 100 pounds.

“I weigh everybody,” Druse said.