FAYETTEVILLE -- County Judge Joseph Wood of Washington County has asked the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District to take over the county household hazardous waste collection center, a rural recycling program and three employee positions.
The move may streamline services at the district, according to director Robin Reed.
"In some ways, it could be beneficial," Reed said.
Under the proposal, the district would take over the waste collection, the recycling program for Elkins and Lincoln, and county employees Jan. 1, Reed said. No contract has been drafted, but talks are underway, she said.
Household hazardous waste includes items like paint, mercury thermometers and cleaning solutions.
The county has agreed to maintain the collection center building and make upgrades. County officials plan to provide the district with some equipment, including recycling trailers and three trucks, and provide maintenance, repairs and fuel, according to the proposal.
Any revenue from the programs would go to the district, but Reed said the programs typically are not profitable.
The county's proposal shows the programs, including salaries, cost about $16,000 a month. The county plans to pay the district a "predetermined amount" for the services and programs, according to the proposal.
The county also could see benefits, County Attorney Brian Lester said.
The move allows Washington County Environmental Affairs, which oversees the collection center, to focus on finding and cleaning up illegal dump sites countywide, Lester said. The county's enforcement officer spends a lot of time managing the collection center currently, he said.
"We want to free our people back up to take care of actual county matters," Lester said.
The county is investigating 29 illegal dump sites, Lester said in an email.
The proposal also could save money, Lester said. Wood has been looking for ways to trim his departments' budgets across the board, Lester said.
Wood oversees about $27 million of the county's $66 million budget, according to the county treasurer's office. Lester said the county judge wants to help close the estimated $4 million gap between the county's revenue and spending. The shortfall fluctuates monthly based on revenue and some budget savings.
Moving responsibilities to the district also makes sense because the collection site is for the district, Lester said. The county pays the district for services, he said.
The county pays 50 cents per person in unincorporated Washington County per year based on the 2010 U.S. Census, Reed said. Based on that formula, the county pays the district about $18,750 per year. Neither Reed nor Lester could provide the exact amount Friday.
The district provides solid waste services that include reuse, recycling, composting, disposal and education programs, according to its website. The group covers Washington and Madison counties and is one of 18 regional solid waste management districts statewide.
Reed said she is undecided about whether the district should assume the extra responsibilities. The proposal includes the three employees, so no jobs are lost, Lester said.
The salaries for the three county employees are about $164,500 per year, including benefits and uniforms. The positions are the household hazardous waste worker, recycling truck driver and special projects manager, according to the proposal.
The programs will continue no matter what the district decides, Lester said.
"The ball is kind of in Boston Mountain's court," Lester said. "The county is just happy to have them consider it."
State Desk on 08/21/2017