Grant program takes off

It took three years, but a local recycling grant program has taken off.

Jay County Solid Waste Management District’s board on Monday approved 18 applications totaling nearly $9,000 in funding for projects through its educational grant program.

Board members also voted to purchase a new truck for the district and addressed an issue with the Bryant recycling trailer.

The grant applications and approvals marked a sizable increase from the first two years of the program, which launched in 2016.

During the inaugural year, the district approved all three requests it received at a total of $1,600. In 2017, six applications were all approved for a total of $2,989.97.

This time around, the district received 19 applications, with one being turned away because it did not involve recycling and/or recycled materials. Those that were approved totaled $8,955.14, despite the board having only budgeted $5,000 for the year. (Board members, who reduced the budgeted amount to $5,000 this year from $10,000 in 2016, agreed to make a transfer or additional appropriation to cover the difference.)

“We’re just excited about how much it’s taken off,” said district educator Bettie Jacobs, who initiated the program.

The largest of the grants was for $1,400 to Westlawn Elementary teacher Nicci Littler for the purchase of eight plastic benches, made from recyclable materials, for the school’s outdoor classroom. (Littler received a $1,000 grant from the district in 2016 to help create the outdoor classroom.)

Other grants ranged from $731.78 to Wendy Sullivan of Portland Head Start for materials regarding recycling and Earth Day education, to $235 to General Shanks custodian Rotch Shope for recycling containers for each classroom as the school.

“It’s the education side of this organization that was lacking before that I really enjoy seeing happen,” said citizens advisory committee member Carter Leonard.

Board members Randy Geesaman, Chuck Huffman, Gene Ritter, Mike Leonhard, Bill Gibson, Barry Hudson and Bob Vance also elected to purchase a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 Tradesman truck from Fuqua in Dunkirk at a cost of $19,624 after trade in. Their only other quote was from Moser Motors of Portland for a 2018 Ford F150 at a cost of $27,950.

In its budget this year, the board had set aside up to $30,000 for a truck that the district staff uses to haul items such as 55-gallon drums from POET Biorefining.

Tom Laux also visited the board to report that the recycling trailer stationed at Bryant Community Center needs to be emptied more than the regularly scheduled once a month. He said after it fills up, residents leave recyclables stacked up outside the locked trailer.

Board members discussed possible solutions and asked Laux to have someone contact the district office if the trailer fills up early, and staff will arrange to have the trailer emptied at that time.

In other business, the board:

•Agreed to handle payroll via direct deposit through First Bank of Berne.

•Approved payment of claims totaling $124,071.36, which included a $100,000 investment in a CD that was approved at the previous meeting.

•Heard the district brought in $17,013.55 in tipping fees in January on 9,820.23 tons dumped at Jay County Landfill. The district has a total balance of $435,781.88.

•Received updates on upcoming district events, including a rain barrel workshop on April 20, and free landfill day and free shred day on April 22.

•Was reminded that a district citizens advisory committee meeting has been scheduled for 9 a.m. March 7.