June 27, 2017 at 5:27 p.m.
District considers spending for 2018
District considers spending for 2018
Jay County Solid Waste Management District’s budget is projected to increase by 7.6 percent in 2018, with the bulk of that bump planned to go for the purchase of a new truck.
The district board took its first look at the 2018 budget Monday with hopes of finalizing it at next month’s meeting.
It also approved a request from Jay County Fair Board to help fund the grandstand renovation project and decided to purchase recycling containers for all county offices.
The district’s proposed budget for 2018 came in at $344,850, up $33,650 from 2017. Almost all of that — $30,000 — is budgeted for a new truck for the district staff to haul items such as 55-gallon drums for reuse from POET Biorefining.
The board has not decided whether it will buy a new or used vehicle, but wants to have enough money in the budget in case it decides to go the new route.
Other increases in the initial budget proposal include 5-percent raises for district coordinator Samantha Rhodehamel and educator Bettie Jacobs and a bump in funding for Arts Place’s Arts in the Parks program.
For the past several years, the district has provided Arts Place with $12,000 of the $15,000 it requested.
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman, who is a member of the solid waste district board, said the city may also ask for a $5,000 increase in funding to help cover the cost of its recycling program. He noted that Portland currently charges its residents a monthly rate of $4.25 per household for recycling while the cost comes in at $4.29.
In recent years the city has received $10,000.
None of those budget items has been finalized, with board members planning to review the proposal with hopes of nailing down the details at its July 24 meeting.
Board members Chuck Huffman, Bill Gibson, Barry Hudson, Gene Ritter, Houchins and Geesaman approved a $5,000 donation for the grandstand work after hearing a request from fair board president Rob Weaver. He explained that all but about $70,000 of the $327,000 needed for the project has already been pledged, including a $160,000 grant from The Portland Foundation and a $50,000 grant from the state fair association contingent on the rest of the money being raised.
As part of its ongoing effort to promote recycling, the board approved the purchase of 50 23-gallon recycling containers at a cost of $33.47 apiece — about $1,700 total. The purchase will give the district enough containers to place one in each county office while keeping some on hand for future use.
In other business, the board:
•Learned Ritter, Dunkirk’s mayor, is joining the board. Because of a work conflict, Ritter had not attended meetings since taking over as mayor in January 2016. Dunkirk City Council member Tom Johnson had filled in representing the city. Ritter said his new job will allow him to take over the solid waste district responsibilities. The meeting was also the first for Hudson since his May election to fill the commissioner seat previously held by Doug Inman.
•Discussed its level of involvement in the Rural America Farm and Garden Expo scheduled for September at Jay County Fairgrounds. Board members said they’d like to take part in the event again this year and they plan to discuss it further next month.
•Heard from Jacobs that the waste district will be giving away reusable bags made from recycled materials at the Jay County Fair. She also plans to inquire about the possibility of give-aways during monthly food tailgates and at the Portland Farmers’ Market.
•Was reminded by Rhodehamel that the district’s contract with Waste Management for providing recycling trailers will be up in May.
•Approved payment of claims totaling $34,565.53. The district brought in $31,244.96 in May on tipping fees on a total of 18,034.61 tons dumped at Jay County Landfill. That brought the district’s balance to $457,250.08.
•On suggestion from Gibson, talked about the possibility of moving some of the nearly quarter of a million dollars in its checking account into a savings or other interest-earning account. Rhodehamel plans to research the district’s options.
The district board took its first look at the 2018 budget Monday with hopes of finalizing it at next month’s meeting.
It also approved a request from Jay County Fair Board to help fund the grandstand renovation project and decided to purchase recycling containers for all county offices.
The district’s proposed budget for 2018 came in at $344,850, up $33,650 from 2017. Almost all of that — $30,000 — is budgeted for a new truck for the district staff to haul items such as 55-gallon drums for reuse from POET Biorefining.
The board has not decided whether it will buy a new or used vehicle, but wants to have enough money in the budget in case it decides to go the new route.
Other increases in the initial budget proposal include 5-percent raises for district coordinator Samantha Rhodehamel and educator Bettie Jacobs and a bump in funding for Arts Place’s Arts in the Parks program.
For the past several years, the district has provided Arts Place with $12,000 of the $15,000 it requested.
Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman, who is a member of the solid waste district board, said the city may also ask for a $5,000 increase in funding to help cover the cost of its recycling program. He noted that Portland currently charges its residents a monthly rate of $4.25 per household for recycling while the cost comes in at $4.29.
In recent years the city has received $10,000.
None of those budget items has been finalized, with board members planning to review the proposal with hopes of nailing down the details at its July 24 meeting.
Board members Chuck Huffman, Bill Gibson, Barry Hudson, Gene Ritter, Houchins and Geesaman approved a $5,000 donation for the grandstand work after hearing a request from fair board president Rob Weaver. He explained that all but about $70,000 of the $327,000 needed for the project has already been pledged, including a $160,000 grant from The Portland Foundation and a $50,000 grant from the state fair association contingent on the rest of the money being raised.
As part of its ongoing effort to promote recycling, the board approved the purchase of 50 23-gallon recycling containers at a cost of $33.47 apiece — about $1,700 total. The purchase will give the district enough containers to place one in each county office while keeping some on hand for future use.
In other business, the board:
•Learned Ritter, Dunkirk’s mayor, is joining the board. Because of a work conflict, Ritter had not attended meetings since taking over as mayor in January 2016. Dunkirk City Council member Tom Johnson had filled in representing the city. Ritter said his new job will allow him to take over the solid waste district responsibilities. The meeting was also the first for Hudson since his May election to fill the commissioner seat previously held by Doug Inman.
•Discussed its level of involvement in the Rural America Farm and Garden Expo scheduled for September at Jay County Fairgrounds. Board members said they’d like to take part in the event again this year and they plan to discuss it further next month.
•Heard from Jacobs that the waste district will be giving away reusable bags made from recycled materials at the Jay County Fair. She also plans to inquire about the possibility of give-aways during monthly food tailgates and at the Portland Farmers’ Market.
•Was reminded by Rhodehamel that the district’s contract with Waste Management for providing recycling trailers will be up in May.
•Approved payment of claims totaling $34,565.53. The district brought in $31,244.96 in May on tipping fees on a total of 18,034.61 tons dumped at Jay County Landfill. That brought the district’s balance to $457,250.08.
•On suggestion from Gibson, talked about the possibility of moving some of the nearly quarter of a million dollars in its checking account into a savings or other interest-earning account. Rhodehamel plans to research the district’s options.
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