October 24, 2016 at 10:20 p.m.

Tox Away numbers drop

Jay County Solid Waste Management District
Tox Away numbers drop
Tox Away numbers drop

By RAY COONEY
President, editor and publisher

The new site for a local recycling event got rave reviews, but numbers were down significantly from 2015.

New Jay County Solid Waste Management District coordinator Samantha Rhodehamel told her board Monday that about half as many pounds of material were collected at Tox Away Day Oct. 8 as compared to last year. Total traffic was down as well.

The board also discussed changing the educator position from contract to hourly as well as setting up a new system for check out recycling containers.

Rhodehamel, in her first meeting as coordinator, reported to the board that 63,959 pounds were collected during Tox Away Day, an event that gives Jay County residents the opportunity to dispose of hazardous materials free of charge. That number is just 53 percent of what was collected last year.

The event brought in at least 80,000 pounds of material in each of the previous five years.

General traffic was also down, with 381 vehicles visiting the event as compared to 579 in 2015.

Board members speculated that part of the decrease may have been because fewer TVs were turned in this year. After collecting nearly 350 TVs at Tox Away Day in 2015, the board made the decision to reinstate its electronics recycling program that allows residents to turn in televisions and other electronics at the district office at any time throughout the year free of charge. There is a $20 fee at Tox Away Day.

Despite the lower numbers, district educator Bettie Jacobs gave rave reviews to its location at Jay County High School — it had previously been held at East Jay Middle School — because it offers more space for a smoother traffic flow. Rhodehamel got the OK from the board to hire Indianapolis firm NuGenesis and secure a date at JCHS for the event next year.

Jacobs also noted that the free shredding day Sept. 30 — it was held on a Friday in Portland in an effort to serve the local business community — went well. She said Jay County Courthouse and The Commercial Review especially took advantage of the event, as did other businesses.

“Shred days work,” said Jacobs, noting that it would help to hire someone to help with lifting materials into the shredding truck. “It was busy. It never stopped. It was great. It was a good turnout.”

When asked by the board, Jacobs said she would have no problem having her position switch from its current salary structure to instead be paid hourly in order to match the coordinator job. Both were previously salaried positions, but coordinator was shifted to an hourly pay rate when Rhodehamel was hired early this month.

Board members will determine Jacobs’ hourly rate and other details before formally voting on the change, which is planned to go into effect Jan. 1.

Also Monday, Rhodehamel explained to board members Jeanne Houchins, Randy Geesaman, Jim Zimmerman, Tom Johnson, Doug Inman and Bill Gibson, absent Faron Parr, that she has developed a new system for checking out recycling barrels for community events after several of the containers were misplaced. Each barrel will be numbered, and those who want to use them will have to sign them out.

She also plans to order new labels for the containers with the Jay County Solid Waste Management District title and phone number on them.

In other business, the board:

•Learned it brought in $23,439 in tipping fees on 13,393.76 tons dumped at Jay County Landfill in the past month. Also paid claims totaling $41,365.26, including $24,000 to NuGenesis for Tox Away Day, bringing its total savings and checking account balance to $477,011.66.

•Gave the OK for Rhodehamel to get quotes from accountants for double-checking that payroll taxes have been figured correctly. It’s part of an ongoing effort, pushed by the state, to implement internal controls.

•Heard from Jacobs that she’s agreed to serve as a member of Head Start’s educational council.

•Approved renewal of its six-month advertising contract with The Commercial Review.

•Heard Rhodehamel relay a request from Redkey Delta Theta Tau sorority about its preference to not staff the recycling trailer on Labor Day weekend, for which the group is regularly scheduled. The board suggested that the sorority try to trade dates with another volunteer group.
PORTLAND WEATHER

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