County offers deal to Salina landfill
Staff writer
Marion County Commission is shooting a deal to Saline Municipal Landfill in an effort to save money.
After some discussion at Monday’s meeting, the commission instructed transfer station manager Rollin Schmidt to offer a $25 per ton tipping fee in a three- to five-year-contract.
Currently the county is paying Hamm Quarry at Rolling Meadows Landfill near Topeka $21.15 per ton tipping fee and Robinson Trucking of Florence $21.60 per loaded ton to haul.
Previously the Salina landfill had offered the county a $29 per ton cost and was projecting the cost to increase to $30 in the near future.
Schmidt said he wasn’t comfortable with the open-ended contract offered by the Salina landfill which would allow the entity unlimited increase in dumping fees anytime during the contract. Hamm Quarry charges the county a fuel surcharge to offset additional costs.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked if the county could get a better rate if there was a longer contract.
Longer hours also may be another reason to go with Saline Municipal Landfill, Schmidt said. He said Hamm’s hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schmidt said he thought Salina’s hours were 7 a.m. to later in the evening, maybe 7 p.m.
Currently, haulers only are able to make one trip per day to the Topeka area landfill. If county trash was hauled to Salina, there could be numerous trips per day.
The commission also is considering the possibility of using a county employee as a driver.
Schmidt reminded the commission that the county’s contract with Hamm Quarry at Topeka will come due Dec. 31, but if the county wants to get out of the contract, the county will need to contact Hamm Quarry by the end of September.
Kevin Robinson, owner of Robinson Trucking, also had been contacted regarding hauling solid waste to Salina but Schmidt said a contract had not been negotiated with him. The commission said it wanted to talk with Robinson about the change.
Commissioner chairman Bob Hein said Harvey County also wanted the county’s trash but no further discussion was heard regarding that option.