Federally-funded housing may get break
County considers a 50 percent reduction of trash charges
Staff reporter
Housing authorities within Marion County may get a break on solid waste disposal charges.
Marion County Commission conferred Monday with Jim Kaup, the county's solid waste consultant, regarding a reduction in charges.
Currently all housing units with kitchens are being charged $81 per year per unit. Last year, housing authority personnel had asked the commission to consider a reduction for the elderly and low-income units because they are subsidized by state and federal funds.
Kaup presented two drafts that could be implemented in the county's solid waste fee structure. The first draft would reduce the annual trash disposal fee by 50 percent for multi-family residential units of 10 apartments or more that are part of a city's housing authority and has a common trash receptacle.
The second draft would allow the same discount for all housing complexes with 10 units or more with a common trash receptacle.
Kaup said the county could be exclusive to housing authorities but needs to justify the exclusion. He suggested the reasoning for offering the discount for housing authorities was to promote and maintain viable public housing.
The commission agreed to the first draft but was concerned about those authorities with fewer than 10 units.
"There wouldn't be a cost savings if trash haulers had to stop one time for two units as there would be stopping one time for 10 units," Kaup said.
The commission will determine a minimum unit size and research the affect the reduction would have on the county's budget.
In a continued conversation with Kaup, the commission approved a policy regarding seasonal rates for solid waste disposal.
The county clerk will send letters to those residents who live in the county part-time and have previously applied for a seasonal discount. New part-time residents need to contact the clerk's office for an application for the reduced fee.
All applications must be submitted to the clerk's office by Aug. 31. This process would eliminate paperwork and staff time in preparing refunds after residents pay taxes.
In other business:
— A proposal was signed by the commission with Jack Chapelle regarding services to implement monitoring at the former county landfill.
The contract was for $9,500 which would pay for Chapelle to oversee the installation of five gas and six groundwater wells for monitoring, gas water sampling, and the hiring of a lab to collect and test groundwater samples.
When a county sanitarian is hired, Chapelle said he/she should be able to do gas monitoring but water collection and testing would need to be completed by an independent company.
Samples need to be collected and tested four times during the first year, and then semi-annually. If tests are favorable, testing will be reduced to once a year, said Chapelle.
The next commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
