County considers withdrawal from solid waste authority
Marion County Commissioner Dan Holub questioned the necessity for Marion County to be a member of the Regional Solid Waste Authority.
The discussion Monday was a result of the commission being asked to approve changes to the regional solid waste plan. In the end, the commission approved the changes, 2-1, with Holub voting against.
The approved changes will allow more than one operation and different forms of disposal options within the region which includes Marion, McPherson, and Harvey counties.
David Brazil, county sanitarian and transfer station manager, said Harvey County is considering incineration as a form of disposal.
Holub asked Brazil the amount the county pays to belong to the authority. Brazil said the county has paid $5,000 every two to three years for publication of public notices of meetings, mailings of minutes from the meetings, and consulting services of Jack Chappelle.
Repeatedly, Holub asked Brazil the benefits of belonging. Brazil said he was caught off-guard and wanted sufficient time to respond.
Eventually, it was determined the county became a member when landfills were being closed by Kansas Department of Health & Environment and officials believed groups of counties were stronger than individual counties.
When Marion County joined, Dickinson County also was a member. Since that time, Dickinson County has pulled out of the group but commission chairman Bob Hein, who serves on the authority with Brazil, said the county may return.
Brazil said the individual counties have the ultimate authority of determining the county's plan and how trash is disposed but the authority has the responsibility of how refuse is handled.
"The authority is needed for future disposal options," said Brazil.
The three solid waste plans from the individual counties are "dove-tailed" or blended into the regional plan, he said.
Brazil also cited additional expertise on the board with his counterparts from McPherson and Harvey counties providing valuable information.
Another example Brazil gave of belonging to the group was if and when Harvey County operates an incinerator, it will need tires for operation which will be an outlet for Marion County's tires.
Holub asked Brazil if county solid waste operations would be affected if the county no longer belonged to the authority. Brazil said day-to-day operations would not but long-term could.
Brazil suggested the commission approve changes to the plan and then consider withdrawal from the group in 2006.
Commissioner Randy Dallke said he wanted to see future benefits with the region.
In other department business:
— Brazil presented a proposal from Chappelle regarding engineering and monitoring of the county's former landfill that recently was closed.
He recommended approval of Chappelle's services for a sampling analysis plan, testing program for landfill gas, and meeting with KDHE to review documents. A fourth item on the proposal from Chappelle was for implementation of the plan and program which Brazil thought could be accomplished on an hourly basis. The total of the proposal was $8,450.
Dallke suggested Brazil obtain a sample plan from KDHE and more information to determine the extent of engineering services the county needed.
— Transfer station vehicles were approved for repairs. A half-ton pickup was in need of repairs to the front end, said Brazil, and the semi-tractor also needed servicing.
The semi-tractor will be repaired at Williams Service, Florence, and the commission suggested Brazil request a loaner truck while being repaired.
