Commissioners begin task of launching trash program

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
David Brazil came to the Marion County Commission Monday for a two-hour session on all those things the county needs to begin operation of the solid waste transfer station it is buying from KC Development.

After Monday, Brazil, who is county zoning director, sanitarian and now transfer station manager, has a special slot on the Commission agenda opened for him at 8:30 a.m. each meeting, a half-hour earlier than normal meeting time, until the transition of operating the plant is complete.

Jim Kaup, attorney from Topeka representing the county in solid waste matters, said closing for the $825,000 purchase is being moved to Dec. 19 from Dec. 23 at the request of KC attorneys Peter Rumbold of Junction City and Robert Brookens of Marion.

The commissioners selected 9 a.m. as the closing time.

Kaup said the Kansas Attorney General’s Office is being cooperative in speeding its review of the bond issue to complete the purchase.

Commissioners Bob Hein, Howard Collett and Leroy Wetta agreed with Brazil that some improvements to the facility, especially reconstruction of a restroom, will need to be done immediately.

They agreed with Brazil’s plan to move the station office area for development of a utility and restroom area, and directed him to get remodeling bids.

Hein said the Commission will need “to be careful” with plans such as restroom remodeling until a transfer station budget is developed because funds may have to be pulled from the general fund for the interim.

County Clerk Carol Maggard confirmed that first funds from a countywide solid-waste assessment won’t be available until January.

She suggested that commissioners will need to operate the transfer station for the opening months of 2003 in order to develop a 2003-’04 budget.

Wetta said Brazil and the Commission will need to develop operations in an “informal, heads up way.”

Brazil opened the session with what he called the No. 1 question, whether the transfer station would be operated as an independent county department or whether it would be included in the operations of an existing department.

Involvement of Road and Bridge Department personnel has been mentioned before.

Collett said inclusion with household hazardous waste operations had been mentioned too, but he wanted to keep those wastes away from the transfer station in separate facilities.

All three commissioners agreed they wanted the department separate from all others for budget, personnel and monitoring of needs.

Wetta said he was thinking that personnel at the plant could operate much as they do now with a part-time manager able to look in on them periodically.

Brazil suggested that he act as at least interim manager, but commissioners took it a step further, voting to appoint him permanently with details to be worked out as the plant is operated.

Commissioners suggested looking at part-time persons in Brazil’s existing departments who could be made full-time in case added responsibilities and workload take up too much of Brazil’s time. They agreed with Brazil that this would be done by keeping a person working at the function already trained for, for instance a person trained in paperwork continuing to work in paperwork.

The commissioners agreed they wanted to offer positions to existing KC employees to take advantage of their experience, but Collett was concerned that they could violate existing county employment policies by not advertising the positions for other applicants.

Hein and Wetta pointed out, and Collett agreed, that the purchase and new operation is a special situation with a smooth transition needed for the county.

Maggard suggested the employment situation be “run by” the county attorney for consideration.

The commissioners and Brazil discussed whether employees in road and bridge who have commercial driver’s licenses could act as substitutes for the transfer station driver who hauls solid waste to Topeka in times of vacation or sick leave.

Brazil suggested the plant manager might need to have a CDL.

They discussed whether maintenance and repair of equipment should be done at the station, or how interdepartmental billing would be done if another department such as road and bridge did this work.

Commissioners wondered whether the addition of rural residents and expanded county coverage would add to the load at the transfer station, and if the number of employees might change. Brazil expected two peak days each week when more volume from cities come in.

The commissioners decided they would require the larger cities of the county to have annual clean-up weeks at different times to spread the station’s load.

The commissioners determined that the station would accept white goods appliances such as old refrigerators for disposal, but they directed Brazil to get bids from local heating and cooling specialists to dispose of environmentally hazardous coolants.

They said Brazil should develop a “zero tolerance” at the plant for acceptance of any hazardous waste.

The commission will be charging by the ton for the disposal of construction and demolition waste. Collett said signs need to be developed and installed to clearly display the rates.

Installation of a sidewalk and masonry repair were discussed along with other improvements.

The commissioners said purchase of a lawnmower will be necessary by spring.

They questioned how fuel is to be brought to the plant for operation of the skid loader that must keep the floors cleared and cleaned every day. A truck might be necessary, “even a rust bucket,” Brazil said, for this and other operations.

Commissioners agreed with Brazil’s suggestion that the transfer station keep what amounts to a “free garage sale” for the public with items that were disposed of such as working lawn mowers, lengths of lumber and usable doors kept for a 30 to 60-day period.

Brazil said any weight scale ticket will be accepted as proof of weight at the transfer station for C&D waste.

Collett said Cooperative Grain is charging $5 a truckload to weigh items that are non-agricultural.

Collett also pointed out that the Commission should delete references to solid waste tonnage costs to households because the solid waste assessment already is adequate to cover fees, and a household doesn’t begin to produce the waste volume that a commercial account can.

Rural households that bring in truckloads of solid waste from older dumpsites are covered for cost by the assessment paid, but may be switched to C&D waste with a charge if equipment used to load the waste mixed dirt with it.

The commissioners expect a peak time of such waste with a return to warmer weather.

In other business, commissioners had to determine who would serve as township clerk in four townships because of write-in tie votes. They did this by taking turns drawing names.

Julie Kerbs won the draw in Blaine Township where she and Jesse Brunner each received two votes.

David Frantz, Patricia Wick, Mark Heiser and Robert Prine received one vote each in Colfax Township with Prine winning the draw.

Leslie Lalouette received the draw over Jeff Inlow in Doyle Township where they received one vote each.

Paul Suderman and Milford Klaassen received three votes each in Liberty Township with Suderman selected.

Commissioners recognized Dale Snelling, park superintendent, for his award from the Kansas Association of Counties at its Nov. 18 meeting for his 40 years of service as a Marion County employee, one of only two persons recognized for that longevity.

Commissioners awarded Markley Service a $2,400 bid to provide 100 gallons of Pathway herbicide at $24 a gallon for use by the Road & Bridge Dept. through the Noxious Weed Dept. over a bid of $24.09 from Ag Service.

The Commission voted to confirm an appointment of Viginia Downing to a first term on the Northcentral-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging Board by the Marion County Senior Citizens Board.

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