×

Solid Waste District confronts huge costs increase

CARROLLTON — The Solid Waste District (SWD) for Columbiana, Carroll and Harrison counties may be looking for a cheaper way to continue providing recycling drop-off services after learning costs would increase by 53 percent if it sticks with the current provider.

For that reason, the SWD board, which is made up of county commissioners from each county, decided not to take any action on renewing its contract with Kimble Companies until the SWD staff explores other options.

Kimble maintains the 60 dumpster sites within the three counties where the public can drop off recyclable materials, which last year exceeded 10 million pounds for the first time. Kimble is currently paid $384,000 for 2016-17 and its current three-year contract expires July 31. The company – which says it has lost money the past several years — has offered to continue providing the service, but the cost would increase to $458,818 the first year, $571,265 in the second year and $589,112 in year three.

Also, Kimble would cease automatically paying the SWD a portion of what it receives from recycling the collected material, unless the commodities price exceeds $89.50 per ton. This fee generated $146,081 last year for the SWD, which is used to help pay for Kimble’s services.

When it came time to seek bids to continue providing the recycling dumpster program, Kimble was the only company to submit a bid for all three counties. Republic Services submitted a bid to serve Columbiana County only for $457,091 the first year, increasing to $485,097 by year three.

“We cannot continue to pay that out every year for our drop-off services,” said SWD Director Barbara Walton.

SWD revenue totaled $664,000 last year, which included $146,081 in recycling revenue that would go away. Expenses totaled $820,000, but the operating loss was offset with money from the SWD’s sizable carry-over balance, which currently totals $3.5 million.

Walton attributed the balance to money generated by the disposal of sludge and cuttings from oil and gas drilling operations. These materials can only be disposed of in SWD-designated landfills by haulers operating in the three counties, with the SWD receiving $3.50 per ton.

She said the continued downturn in drilling activity means they are seeing significantly less drilling sludge and cuttings being disposed of, and tonnage levels at landfills are about what they were before the boom began. While that balance can be used to subsidize operations, the SWD has stayed away from doing that until recently. Walton said staying with Kimble would eat up most of the balance.

County Commissioner Jim Hoppel agreed.

“If we signed a 3-year contract (with Kimble) the district will be broke in three years,” he said.

Further complicating the situation is the revised SWD operating plan currently before the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Walton said they are not allowed to take the balance into account when determining the SWD’s finances into the future.

Commissioners advised Walton to investigate how much it would cost if the SWD took on providing the services instead of continuing to hire someone.

“Look at it this way: If you’re going to spend nearly $2 million (with Kimble), how much would it cost if we it did ourselves,” Commissioner Mike Halleck asked.

In other news at the SWD meeting, commissioners said the board decided against amending the operating plan to allow the SWD to help with road projects. Harrison County commissioners had asked the SWD to help pay for upgrading a road leading to the Apex Sanitary Landfill that straddles Harrison and Jefferson counties.

The main access road was from Jefferson County and was rebuilt but with a load limit. Haulers now use a township road in Harrison County, and the township trustees there asked the SWD for $59,000 to help upgrade the road to withstand the additional truck traffic. The haulers using the landfill pay a dumping fee to the SWD.

Hoppel said they were adamant in their opposition to amending the SWD operating plan so such an expenditure would be allowed. “If they had tried to push that through I can guarantee you there would have been three no votes. We’re not about fixing roads,” he said of the SWD.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today