District considers buying bins

As one project promoting recycling wrapped up Monday, discussion about another began.
The Jay County Solid Waste Management District board talked about the possibility of purchasing recycling bins for use at local events after giving approval to a fourth educational grant at its meeting Monday.
District director Ronyelle Edwards presented the idea of creating a recycling program similar to the “Lend a Bin” initiative used in Hancock County. It would involve the solid waste district purchasing recycling containers that could then be signed out for use at short-term events in the county.
Board members Jeanne Houchins, Doug Inman, Randy Geesaman, Faron Parr, Jim Zimmerman and Tom Johnson, absent Bill Gibson, discussed the possibility of expanding the idea by purchasing or helping to purchase recycling bins for use at local junior league fields, pools, youth soccer fields and other facilities. They asked Edwards to get prices on containers for indoor and outdoor use and plan to discuss the idea again at their April meeting.
The board also approved a fourth educational grant for $480 to purchase 24 recycling containers for Westlawn Elementary School in Dunkirk.
The educational grant program was implemented on the suggestion of district educator Bettie Jacobs in an effort to expand the group’s mission of promoting recycling. Three other projects — one for $1,000 for creation of an outdoor classroom/learning garden at Westlawn and two for $300 for forming “Makerspaces” at Redkey and Westlawn elementary schools — were approved last month.
In other business, the board:
•Welcomed Johnson, a Dunkirk City Council member who joined the solid waste board as the city’s representative. Johnson is filling in for Mayor Gene Ritter, whose work schedule does not allow him to attend the monthly meetings.
•Heard from Edwards that the district brought in $21,889 in tipping fees this month on 12,634.29 tons at Jay County Landfill. That brought the district’s cash balance to $483,187.22.
•Asked Jacobs to look into the possibility of sponsoring a recycling dumpster for use at the inaugural Rural America Farm and Garden Show in September at Jay County Fairgrounds. It also discussed the possibility of providing a recycling dumpster at the Jay County Fair.
•Learned from Edwards that containers for collection of used batteries will be placed at each school in Jay County as well as the Dunkirk City Building.
•Heard from Jacobs that the Dumpster Drummers, a percussion group that promotes recycling, will perform April 12 at East Jay and West Jay middle schools. The district will also have a booth at the Jay County REMC Expo on April 9 and host a rain barrel workshop on April 14.
•Approved rural Dunkirk resident Phil Ford to fill an open seat on its citizens’ advisory committee.
•Paid claims totaling $18,023.25.