FAYETTEVILLE -- Boston Mountain Solid Waste District will take over the Washington County household hazardous-waste collection center, a rural recycling program and three county employee positions Jan. 1.
The county agreed to pay the district $192,000 per year to improve and maintain the building and grounds and to give the district equipment, including a forklift and three trailers.
Robin Reed, director of the district, said her board signed an agreement with the county last month.
Joseph Wood, county judge of Washington County, had not signed the interlocal agreement and filed it with the county clerk as of Thursday, according to the county clerk's office.
Washington County Attorney Brian Lester had not replied to questions sent by emails as of Thursday. Lester is spokesman for the county and Wood.
Boston Mountain is one of 18 regional waste districts in Arkansas. The district covers Madison and Washington counties and provides services that include bulky-waste pickup, tire disposal, household hazardous waste, recycling and waste reduction and educational programs.
Collection facilities are in Lincoln and Prairie Grove.
Reed said the money the county plans to pay the district should cover expenses. No programs or hours are expected to be reduced, and no facilities are expected to close or relocate, she said.
The district agreed to dispose of household hazardous waste for Washington and Madison county residents. Other services continuing include recycling electronics, fluorescent bulbs, Freon and scrap metal, tire collection and roadside dump remediation, according to the agreement.
Under the agreement, the district will run the recycling programs until Dec. 31, 2023. The agreement can be terminated with a six-month notice from either side.
Reed said household hazardous-waste program hours will change to 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday to give employees a lunch break.
District staff plan to review the programs and possibly extend hours into the evenings, Reed said.
The district also agreed to take over three employees from the county's environmental department, but none of those employees, including the director, chose to work for the district, Reed said. The positions are being advertised, she said.
Metro on 12/26/2017