July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Waste district OK's budget (6/29/04)
Delays decision on repayment of district tipping fees
Financial matters dominated discussion at the Jay County Solid Waste District Board meeting Monday afternoon, as board members projected revenue and expenses for next year and tabled the possible repayment of nearly $20,000 to the Jay County Landfill.
During a brief public hearing, which drew no public comment, the district's proposed budget for 2005 was read. The estimated total is $252,451, with $78,330 budgeted for personnel services; $17,200 for supplies; $143,451 for other services and charges; and $13,500 for capital outlays.
"Is that in line with what you were expecting?" board member Gerald Kirby, who also serves on the Jay County Council, asked Commissioner Milo Miller Jr., who chairs the board. Miller said those estimates are close to revenue projections for next year.
The district receives the majority of its revenue from its $1.50 per ton tipping fee charged on trash dumped at the local landfill, which is owned and operated by Waste Management.
"If we can average 17,000 tons (a month), we should be all right," Miller said.
Last month, tonnage subject to the district's tipping fee was 15,362, which resulted in $22,813 in revenue for the district, according to the monthly tonnage report.
Leon Leach, a district manager for Waste Management, told board members Monday afternoon he recently signed a waste disposal contract with Rumpke, which took effect June 1. "We're guaranteed at least 2,000 (tons) a month," he said.
Leach has lobbied for months to get the district to lower its tipping fee — a move, he said, which would make the landfill more competitive in its contract bidding and could mean more money for the district if the monthly tonnage increases.
With no further discussion on the proposed budget, a motion for adoption was unanimously approved on first reading.
In a related matter, the board voted not to pursue the purchase of its district headquarters from Waste Management. The office is located near the intersection of Ind. 67 and county road 400 South.
In May, Leach said Waste Management would sell the home and property for $25,000 if the district tipping fee were lowered. Board members, who wanted a chance to review the options, took no action then. But Monday, board member Bill Gibson, who serves on the Portland City Council, said, "Personally, I say stay like it is," with the district leasing the site from Waste Management for $1 per year.
Gibson made that motion, which was seconded by Jay County Commissioner Mike Leonhard and unanimously approved by the board.
"I guess you got your answer, Leon," Miller said.
Also Monday, Leach presented the board with preliminary figures from an internal Waste Management audit that showed the district was overpaid nearly $20,000 by the landfill company.
In 2002, 2003 and the first three months of this year, the district's tipping fee was paid on 1,247 loads of "paper rejects" hauled from Hartford City Paper, Leach said. That material is deemed suitable for "alternative daily cover" at the landfill, and thus is exempt from the tipping fee. Those loads totaled 13,293 tons, which resulted in an overpayment of $19,939, which the district must repay.
But before board members will consider repayment, they want more information. "It's not a matter of integrity. It's just business is business," Kirby said, adding he wants "a reasonably detailed" accounting of what was hauled, when the trips were made and what the tonnage was.
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier, who also serves on the board, concurred. "I'm not interested in setting up something to pay this back when we're not even sure we owe," he said.
Kirby made a motion, which was approved by the board, to table any action until "proper documentation" on the matter is submitted. Leach said that information is available from Waste Management, and he will submit it to the board's attorney Brad Burkett for his review before the district's meeting in July.
"I think we're fortunate to have a good working relationship with Waste Management," Hosier added.
Also Monday, the board:
•Approved $58,200 in advertised additional appropriations. They included $30,000 for the construction of a pole barn as a reuse center at district headquarters; $20,000 to reimburse Jay County for expenses incurred for the district's 20-year waste reduction plan; $6,000 for Waste Management hauling; and $2,200 for health insurance.
•Approved, after a lengthy discussion, spending $125 for a sponsorship at the Randy O. Poole Memorial Golf Outing hosted by the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce.
The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Portland Country Club.
Initially, Kirby was concerned about what kind of precedent might be set by approving this request. "When you start, where do you stop? Is that an avenue we want to open up?" he asked.
In the past, the board has rejected requests for funding that weren’t directly tied to recycling or waste reduction.
But other members said it would be good publicity for the district. "I don't think that's too big a reach," Kirby said later.
In the future, those types of requests could be funded through the district's advertising budget. Next year, $10,000 has been budgeted for various advertising, Hayes said. She added approving this request "is going to open up" other requests from other groups.
Leonhard made a motion, seconded by Kirby and approved by the board to fund a sponsorship at the $125 level.[[In-content Ad]]
During a brief public hearing, which drew no public comment, the district's proposed budget for 2005 was read. The estimated total is $252,451, with $78,330 budgeted for personnel services; $17,200 for supplies; $143,451 for other services and charges; and $13,500 for capital outlays.
"Is that in line with what you were expecting?" board member Gerald Kirby, who also serves on the Jay County Council, asked Commissioner Milo Miller Jr., who chairs the board. Miller said those estimates are close to revenue projections for next year.
The district receives the majority of its revenue from its $1.50 per ton tipping fee charged on trash dumped at the local landfill, which is owned and operated by Waste Management.
"If we can average 17,000 tons (a month), we should be all right," Miller said.
Last month, tonnage subject to the district's tipping fee was 15,362, which resulted in $22,813 in revenue for the district, according to the monthly tonnage report.
Leon Leach, a district manager for Waste Management, told board members Monday afternoon he recently signed a waste disposal contract with Rumpke, which took effect June 1. "We're guaranteed at least 2,000 (tons) a month," he said.
Leach has lobbied for months to get the district to lower its tipping fee — a move, he said, which would make the landfill more competitive in its contract bidding and could mean more money for the district if the monthly tonnage increases.
With no further discussion on the proposed budget, a motion for adoption was unanimously approved on first reading.
In a related matter, the board voted not to pursue the purchase of its district headquarters from Waste Management. The office is located near the intersection of Ind. 67 and county road 400 South.
In May, Leach said Waste Management would sell the home and property for $25,000 if the district tipping fee were lowered. Board members, who wanted a chance to review the options, took no action then. But Monday, board member Bill Gibson, who serves on the Portland City Council, said, "Personally, I say stay like it is," with the district leasing the site from Waste Management for $1 per year.
Gibson made that motion, which was seconded by Jay County Commissioner Mike Leonhard and unanimously approved by the board.
"I guess you got your answer, Leon," Miller said.
Also Monday, Leach presented the board with preliminary figures from an internal Waste Management audit that showed the district was overpaid nearly $20,000 by the landfill company.
In 2002, 2003 and the first three months of this year, the district's tipping fee was paid on 1,247 loads of "paper rejects" hauled from Hartford City Paper, Leach said. That material is deemed suitable for "alternative daily cover" at the landfill, and thus is exempt from the tipping fee. Those loads totaled 13,293 tons, which resulted in an overpayment of $19,939, which the district must repay.
But before board members will consider repayment, they want more information. "It's not a matter of integrity. It's just business is business," Kirby said, adding he wants "a reasonably detailed" accounting of what was hauled, when the trips were made and what the tonnage was.
Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier, who also serves on the board, concurred. "I'm not interested in setting up something to pay this back when we're not even sure we owe," he said.
Kirby made a motion, which was approved by the board, to table any action until "proper documentation" on the matter is submitted. Leach said that information is available from Waste Management, and he will submit it to the board's attorney Brad Burkett for his review before the district's meeting in July.
"I think we're fortunate to have a good working relationship with Waste Management," Hosier added.
Also Monday, the board:
•Approved $58,200 in advertised additional appropriations. They included $30,000 for the construction of a pole barn as a reuse center at district headquarters; $20,000 to reimburse Jay County for expenses incurred for the district's 20-year waste reduction plan; $6,000 for Waste Management hauling; and $2,200 for health insurance.
•Approved, after a lengthy discussion, spending $125 for a sponsorship at the Randy O. Poole Memorial Golf Outing hosted by the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce.
The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Portland Country Club.
Initially, Kirby was concerned about what kind of precedent might be set by approving this request. "When you start, where do you stop? Is that an avenue we want to open up?" he asked.
In the past, the board has rejected requests for funding that weren’t directly tied to recycling or waste reduction.
But other members said it would be good publicity for the district. "I don't think that's too big a reach," Kirby said later.
In the future, those types of requests could be funded through the district's advertising budget. Next year, $10,000 has been budgeted for various advertising, Hayes said. She added approving this request "is going to open up" other requests from other groups.
Leonhard made a motion, seconded by Kirby and approved by the board to fund a sponsorship at the $125 level.[[In-content Ad]]
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