When it comes to leftover recycling money, Portland is weighing its options.
Portland City Council discussed what it could do with the leftover money in the account, including more than $50,000 in unused grant funds, at its meeting Monday before ultimately tabling a decision.
Board members also requested more information from Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman about funding options for a downtown flood mitigation project.
In August, the city’s board of works selected a three-year contract with Rumpke for a total of $398,016. Rates would go up to $4.50 the first year, $4.59 the second and $4.73 the third year.
After Jay County Solid Waste Management District slashed its budget and opted to cut a yearly $10,000 grant it had given the city for recycling, Portland Board of Works voted to end curbside pickup. Other factors included a stagnation in the recycling market and a desire not to raise fees for Portland residents, who had been paying $4.25 a month per household for the service.
Recycling paid for itself, as Best Way charged the city $4.24 per household per month. The $10,000 grant had seemingly not been used for some time and had been collecting in the city’s recycling fund, which as of Oct. 31 had a balance of $107,000. The waste management district determined that $52,649.83 of those funds came from unused grant money.
At its Nov. 26 meeting, the waste management district — which includes Geesaman and city council member Bill Gibson — unanimously voted to request that Portland pay back the unused grant money.
At Monday’s meeting, council officially repealed the monthly recycling fee that had been charged to residents for the curbside program.
The last charge Portland residents received was for the month of October, which was billed in November and due this month.
Geesaman said he and clerk-treasurer Lori Ferguson knew that recycling fees would increase eventually; rather than charge residents more, the city planned to use the excess in the account to cover the costs. But there was only enough saved to cover about 10 or 11 months of the new Rumpke contract, which led to the decision to back out.
“We were not stockpiling just to have money there,” Geesaman said. “We were anticipating, knowing what was going to come in April 2018 and the future, that we’re not going to pay anywhere near $4.25.”
He presented council with several options for the money.
“If we did not use it, would the city council agree to give that $52,000 back or, as we had the city attorney draft up, would it make sense to turn this money over to a non-reverting fund for capital improvement projects?” Geesaman asked.
Council voted Monday to set up a non-reverting fund to purchase large equipment for the street department, such as a trash truck. Unused money in the account will stay in the fund until it is needed and will not revert anywhere else.
But council members did not agree on what should be done with the leftover grant money.
“I don’t know if it’s (the solid waste management’s) money or the taxpayers of Portland’s money,” council member Kent McClung said. “Because we could go and say we took the grants and spent them first and then the money leftover would be the money we collected over and above. … So whose money is leftover in the fund would be a matter of, I guess, debate or opinion.”
Rather than giving the money back to the district, he proposed placing it in a specific recycling fund.
Council member Janet Powers disagreed, stating that the money should be returned.
“If we give the money back to the solid waste district, then they can come up with an idea on how to recycle,” Powers said. “Let them figure it out, how to come up with a way to make (recycling) more advantageous for everyone and more user-friendly.”
Powers made a motion, with Donald Gillespie seconding, that Portland return the money. But council member Judy Hedges said the governing body should take more time to think about the issue.
“I know what I thought when I came in, but what Kent has just thrown out there has me thinking,” Hedges said. “I need time to process that instead of immediately going into it.”
Council agreed to table the vote and will discuss the money at its Dec. 17 meeting.
Also on Monday, Geesaman asked council for input on a flood mitigation project planned near downtown and Jay County Courthouse.
The mayor has requested funding from Portland Redevelopment Commission and from Jay County Commissioners.
“We have about two-thirds of the funding that’s pretty much committed, and we’re still waiting on how we can fund the other third,” Geesaman said. “But the commissioners requested that the city council also agree that this is a good project and that you would give your blessing on this project moving forward.”
The project was designed by Choice One Engineering and is estimated to cost $536,491. It calls for the installation of storm drain lines in a “Y” shape beginning on Pleasant and Commerce streets from their intersections with Walnut Street. The lines would run south and connect at Main Street, with a single line running down Ship Street to the Salamonie River.
Geesaman said the redevelopment commission is considering giving $200,000 towards the project, and $200,000 will come from the city’s sewage fund. The city may also use the $50,000 it received in wind farm economic development funds. At the Nov. 15 commissioners meeting, Geesaman requested additional economic development money. Commissioners are still considering the request.
Hedges said she would like to have funding in place before council gives its OK.
“My suggestion would be to come back with those dollar figures and then that way we have those in front of us,” Hedges said. “And then we can re-look at what’s left and where we need to look to get that money from.”
In other business, council members Judy Aker, Michele Brewster, Gibson, Hedges, Powers, McClung and Gillespie:
•Heard an update on Portland’s Housing and Urban Development program. A few years ago, Muncie Housing Authority took over as fiscal representative for Portland’s housing authority. As a result of further consolidation, as of Jan. 1 Portland’s housing authority will be absorbed by Muncie, which will have responsibility for Portland’s 50 housing choice vouchers. Those vouchers provide housing assistance for very low-income families, elderly people and people with disabilities.
“Those 50 vouchers will continue to remain in Portland,” said Joe Anderson, CEO of Muncie’s housing authority. “So it will be up to the city to still provide services here in Portland in regard to those 50 vouchers that are here.”
Local residents Linda Leonhard and Nick Miller will serve on Muncie’s housing authority board.
•Heard a request from Julie Forcum, an honorary member of the Jay County Humane Society’s board, for a council member to join a task force she is heading up to help solve the animal control problem in Jay County. Jay County Commissioner Mike Leonhard and Jay County Council member Amy Runyon-Barrett both agreed to join the board after Forcum presented at their respective meetings recently.
Right now, the humane society and the county’s animal control program are overwhelmed, Forcum said.
“We’ve come to the realization that we need a new plan which includes governmental support coupled with long-range animal control services to continue operating,” Forcum said. “With this goal in mind, would you please consider being open to a discussion and conversation about the overall restructuring of Jay County animal control and Jay County Humane Society with regard to funding, housing and animal care?”
Geesaman told Forcum he would have an answer for her by the next city council meeting.
•Approved paying Jones and Henry $22,695 for continued work on the wastewater treatment plant. Geesaman said the work is ahead of schedule.
•Paid claims of 1,957,577.39.
