July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Deal could bring $ to county
Jay County Solid Waste District
A change in trash service for Fort Wayne residents could mean a big boost in income for Jay County and its solid waste district.
The apparent low bidder to collect and dispose of residential trash in Fort Wayne is considering, if awarded that contract, dumping the trash in the Jay County Landfill.
That projected annual increase in volume at the local landfill of 100,000 tons would mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income for Jay County and the Jay County Solid Waste District.
Members of the waste district board briefly discussed the issue Monday, with director Kay Hayes saying she was asked recently when Fort Wayne was going to begin bringing its trash to Jay County.
The answer? Not until January, if at all.
Brad Eisenhart, director of operations for Waste Management of Indiana, owner of the Jay County Landfill, said this morning there is no contract with Earth First, which submitted the apparent low bid for pick-up of trash and recycling for Fort Wayne. "They have talked about bringing the (trash) to Jay County. There's nothing set in stone ... there's no agreement yet," Eisenhart said.
Members of the Fort Wayne City Council were scheduled to introduce a bill awarding the contract to Earth First last week, but pulled it from the agenda after questions were raised about the company's financial stability and the fact that a small minority of the company is owned by the brother of Fort Wayne's mayor.
An editorial in Sunday's edition of The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne) urged closer scrutiny over the proposed contract.
The deal, if approved, would bring an influx of cash along with a boost in semi-truck traffic along U.S. 27 and Ind. 67.
The waste district, which receives $1.25 per ton of trash deposited in the landfill, would see an income boost of $125,000 on 100,000 additional tons. Jay County, which receives 10 percent of all gross gate revenue thanks to a host agreement reached during an expansion process in the early 2000s, would likely receive an additional $300,000 or more for its Infrastructure Fund. The county is currently receiving about $400,000 annually into the fund, which is used for a variety of capital projects.
Eisenhart, who was an engineer on the Jay County Landfill expansion, said that a decrease in volume has increased the capacity of the landfill, which was originally opened by Jay County before being sold to a private company in the 1980s.
"Without any other expansions, we probably have at least 40 years of life," Eisenhart said.
The company has plans for a second phase that could extend the life of the landfill after the 40 years.
A provision in the host agreement stipulates that Waste Management will guarantee disposal of Jay County-generated trash, even if the landfill is filled or closes prior to the agreement period.
In other business Monday, waste district board members Dan Orr, Bill Gibson, Milo Miller Jr. and Jim Zimmerman:
•Approved claims totaling $26,259.97, leaving the district with a checking account balance of $64,156.54 and investments of $102,349. Income for the month of August was $18,907, based on 15,278.12 tons of trash.
•Heard Hayes report that it has been a busy previous month, with Tox-A-Way Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, and an open house at the district's re-use center this past Saturday. "We've had a lot of groups wanting items," Hayes said.
•Heard a brief report on household hazardous waste collection from Hayes, who does not have pound/tonnage figures from the contractor hired to handle the collection.
A total of 380 vehicles came through the site at the Jay County Fairgrounds, down slightly from the 400-plus in 2008.
Members of the board said that the district will likely look for a new location to hold the event in 2010, due to some difficulties in working with the fair board. The district pays the fair board $200 to use the fairgrounds for the event.
The logistics of Tox-A-Way Day were slightly more complicated this year, due to the fact a horse show was being held in the 4-H Arena, and the Budweiser Clydesdales were being housed near where the hazardous waste collection is normally done.
•Were told by Miller that the county has been shopping for a used semi-trailer that would be used for the storage of tires that are collected along county roads. The county may enter into a partnership with the waste district to pay for disposal of those tires. Hayes said Monday that Indiana Department of Environmental Management has asked the county highway department to cover the collected tires.[[In-content Ad]]
The apparent low bidder to collect and dispose of residential trash in Fort Wayne is considering, if awarded that contract, dumping the trash in the Jay County Landfill.
That projected annual increase in volume at the local landfill of 100,000 tons would mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income for Jay County and the Jay County Solid Waste District.
Members of the waste district board briefly discussed the issue Monday, with director Kay Hayes saying she was asked recently when Fort Wayne was going to begin bringing its trash to Jay County.
The answer? Not until January, if at all.
Brad Eisenhart, director of operations for Waste Management of Indiana, owner of the Jay County Landfill, said this morning there is no contract with Earth First, which submitted the apparent low bid for pick-up of trash and recycling for Fort Wayne. "They have talked about bringing the (trash) to Jay County. There's nothing set in stone ... there's no agreement yet," Eisenhart said.
Members of the Fort Wayne City Council were scheduled to introduce a bill awarding the contract to Earth First last week, but pulled it from the agenda after questions were raised about the company's financial stability and the fact that a small minority of the company is owned by the brother of Fort Wayne's mayor.
An editorial in Sunday's edition of The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne) urged closer scrutiny over the proposed contract.
The deal, if approved, would bring an influx of cash along with a boost in semi-truck traffic along U.S. 27 and Ind. 67.
The waste district, which receives $1.25 per ton of trash deposited in the landfill, would see an income boost of $125,000 on 100,000 additional tons. Jay County, which receives 10 percent of all gross gate revenue thanks to a host agreement reached during an expansion process in the early 2000s, would likely receive an additional $300,000 or more for its Infrastructure Fund. The county is currently receiving about $400,000 annually into the fund, which is used for a variety of capital projects.
Eisenhart, who was an engineer on the Jay County Landfill expansion, said that a decrease in volume has increased the capacity of the landfill, which was originally opened by Jay County before being sold to a private company in the 1980s.
"Without any other expansions, we probably have at least 40 years of life," Eisenhart said.
The company has plans for a second phase that could extend the life of the landfill after the 40 years.
A provision in the host agreement stipulates that Waste Management will guarantee disposal of Jay County-generated trash, even if the landfill is filled or closes prior to the agreement period.
In other business Monday, waste district board members Dan Orr, Bill Gibson, Milo Miller Jr. and Jim Zimmerman:
•Approved claims totaling $26,259.97, leaving the district with a checking account balance of $64,156.54 and investments of $102,349. Income for the month of August was $18,907, based on 15,278.12 tons of trash.
•Heard Hayes report that it has been a busy previous month, with Tox-A-Way Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, and an open house at the district's re-use center this past Saturday. "We've had a lot of groups wanting items," Hayes said.
•Heard a brief report on household hazardous waste collection from Hayes, who does not have pound/tonnage figures from the contractor hired to handle the collection.
A total of 380 vehicles came through the site at the Jay County Fairgrounds, down slightly from the 400-plus in 2008.
Members of the board said that the district will likely look for a new location to hold the event in 2010, due to some difficulties in working with the fair board. The district pays the fair board $200 to use the fairgrounds for the event.
The logistics of Tox-A-Way Day were slightly more complicated this year, due to the fact a horse show was being held in the 4-H Arena, and the Budweiser Clydesdales were being housed near where the hazardous waste collection is normally done.
•Were told by Miller that the county has been shopping for a used semi-trailer that would be used for the storage of tires that are collected along county roads. The county may enter into a partnership with the waste district to pay for disposal of those tires. Hayes said Monday that Indiana Department of Environmental Management has asked the county highway department to cover the collected tires.[[In-content Ad]]
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