PRAIRIE GROVE -- Safety concerns have prompted the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District to spend almost $155,000 on a loading dock for its used-tire recycling program.
Robyn Reed, director, told the district's Personnel and Finance Committee on Tuesday the project has been scaled back because it will cost more than expected to replace the loading dock. The district approved $125,000 for the project, but bids came in at $249,000 to $350,000.
The original plan was to replace the dock and expand the parking area for the trailer used to haul tires. The tire program has an annual budget of about $675,000, Reed said. The program is paid for by the $3 per tire disposal fee charged by the state on new tires.
The staff decided to delay the parking lot expansion and worked with Pick-It Construction, its construction management firm, to redesign the dock expansion. The redesign came in with a budget of $154,785. The committee agreed to recommend the additional $29,785 to meet that cost.
Sandy Smith, deputy director, said the 10-year-old dock can't support the weight of a fork-lift so all of the work is done manually. Smith said the decking is plywood and has been replaced more than once.
Reed said the deck is supported from underneath, adding the canopy covering the work area must also be replaced.
"In any kind of breeze it has a four-foot sway to it," Reed said of the canopy. "It's an imminent need."
Reed said the money has accumulated in the tire fund over several years. If the district has to use the same money source, she said, the parking lot expansion may be delayed for years.
Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan asked about seeking state assistance and said he would like to see the full project done.
"We do a lot of recycling," Jordan said. "I certainly want to be sure we have the proper facility for everybody to stay safe."
Reed said the tire recycling program has been growing steadily, averaging about an 11 percent annual increase over the last eight years. In 2017, about 287,000 tires were collected, and about 209,000 have been collected through the first three quarters this year. The program is meant to reduce the number of tires being illegally dumped or discarded in landfills.
NW News on 10/17/2018