Refuse disposal costs continue to increase for county
Staff reporter
The high cost of diesel fuel continues to inflate the county's cost to operate the transfer station.
Marion County Transfer Station Manager Rollin Schmidt reported Monday to Marion County Commission that Hamm Quarry, Inc., where the county's solid waste is dumped, is requiring the county to sign an addendum to cover a fuel surcharge brought on by skyrocketing fuel costs.
Currently the county has a year-to-year contract with the quarry for solid waste disposal with an automatic three percent annual increase in the cost per ton. However, with fuel prices topping the $3 per gallon mark, the quarry is asking for an additional payment of $587 to cover diesel expenses during October.
The commission did not approve the surcharge and will consider it at a future meeting.
The contract with the landfill will end Jan. 20, 2008. Currently the county pays $19.14 per ton for the disposal of solid waste. With the annual increase, the cost will be $19.70 per ton.
The consensus of the commission was to decrease the amount of trash being hauled by recycling and decreasing the distance to drive.
Commission chairman Randy Dallke asked Schmidt to compare current charges with other landfills.
Discussion also was heard regarding the county owning its own tractor and trailer for hauling trash to a landfill or owning the trailer but leasing the tractor and driver. Schmidt commented that there was a "gray" area in calculating costs for maintenance of a county-owned tractor-trailer.
The comment was made that the current fees paid by taxpayers may have to increase at some point to cover costs.
In other business:
— The commission moved closer to requiring liability insurance for those who own single-wide mobile homes at the county lake trailer park.
Concerns have been expressed by trailer owners and county officials regarding the safety of some of the trailers and requiring insurance may be a way to regulate the trailers.
Insurance companies may not be able to provide insurance for some of the trailers because of age or condition. The county then could require those trailers be removed.
County lake superintendent Steve Hudson said the trailer park doesn't open until March 1 which would give owners sufficient time to become insured.
No official action was taken.
— The commission approved a bid of $623 from G&R Implement of Durham for a brush cutter to be used at the county lake. Deer Trail Implement of Marion also provided a bid of $645 for the brush cutter.
— The commission discussed the purpose of the county lake board. Commissioner Dan Holub said he would like to see the board become more active.
The group was organized to obtain more input from county residents with two representatives from each commission district serving on the board.
Hudson said he didn't have a problem with the board but wanted to know what the goals would be, stating if the board doesn't have a purpose there won't be much interest in serving.
The suggestion was made to have public meetings several times a year to gather input from the public. Hudson said he was concerned about that because the budget can only do so much and people get frustrated when there is no action after a public meeting.
The commission instructed Hudson to talk with lake board members about their desire to continue to meet.
