Benton County eyes solid waste program expansion

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's convenience center program for solid waste disposal may increase in 2017 with the county eyeing an additional facility in Bella Vista.

The Finance Committee heard a report on the program, which is in its first year as the county tries to replace the annual cleanup events, which were growing increasingly costly.

"I'm a big fan of what you're doing," Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and committee chairman, said of the convenience center program. Allen asked for and received support for a motion to send the proposed expansion to the Budget Committee for consideration as part of the 2017 budget.

Teresa Sidwell, environmental coordinator, said the convenience center program, with its main facility in Centerton and satellite facilities in Rogers and Siloam Springs, has doubled the amount of solid waste brought to the centers by residents when compared to the cleanup events in 2105.

Sidwell said the county spent about $87,819 on two cleanups events in 2015, with residents bringing in 2,752 loads of material for a cost per load of $31.91. From January through July, she said, the convenience center s have a budgeted cost of about $81,275. Residents have brought in 5,723 loads of material for a cost per load of $14.20.

Sidwell and Wendy Cravens, director of the Benton County Solid Waste District, briefed the committee on plans to open a third facility in Bella Vista in 2017. Cravens said the district is working on a plan to move the Rogers facility to a transfer station the district hopes to lease. That would free employees to allow the district to operate a Bella Vista facility.

Sidwell said the first six months of the convenience center program has shown a large number of participants would be served by a Bella Vista location. She said 13 percent of the visitors to the Centerton location had Bella Vista ZIP codes and a Bela Vista site would also be convenient for people in Gravette, Hiwasse, Pea Ridge and northern Bentonville. Sidwell estimated the third satellite facility will increase the budget for the program from an estimated $169,933 to about $199,033

The justices of the peace also discussed the schedule for work on the 2017 budget. The elected officials and department heads are scheduled to have their 2017 budget requests to the comptroller's office today.

The Budget Committee will have its first budget meeting at 5 p.m. Sept. 26. The Budget Committee will meet with the Personnel Committee to consider personnel requests and salary issues at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 6 before the regular Finance Committee meeting.

NW News on 09/09/2016

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