By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The discussion resumed Wednesday afternoon over rates and costs at the county landfill as the Crawford County Solid Waste District Policy Committee met to discuss how to keep operations there out of the red.
Using a spreadsheet showing a worst- and best-case scenario for the Crawford Landfill the committee came to no other conclusion but to raise rates.
Under a worst-case scenario the landfill would receive the tonnage that was handled which is forecast to be 24,898.06 tons from in-county and 93,421.32 tons from out-of-county for the 2016 year. These numbers were calculated using January’s tonnage handled at the refuse site and multiplied by 12. At this rate the landfill would be operating at a nearly $112,000 deficit.
Under a best-case scenario the landfill would only see a 20-percent drop in business from the loss of two companies who used the landfill. The best-case scenario projection model forecast 24,797.06 tons to be dropped off at the landfill in 2016 from in-county, and 106,696.77 tons from out-of-county.
This scenario also included an increase in rates to $2 from 2016 through 2029 for in-county refuse drop off and an increase to $4 per ton for out-of-county refuse dump, and an increase to $3 from 2016 through 2020, $4 from 2021 through 2025, and $4.50 from 2025-2029 for generation fees for the landfill.
The rise in rates would reflect pre-2009 rates which were dropped due to the recession.
The increase would equal out to 10 cents per month per household in Bucyrus.
County Commissioner Doug Weisenauer explained that due to the loss in tonnage the landfill and recycling center can no longer operate at current rates.
“The loss in tonnage coming into the landfill over the past five years has decreased substantially and our revenue is based off that tonnage, so with decreased tonnage which means decreased revenue for the recycling center we just can no longer operate at that rate.”
“This is not something we want to do, but we were very conservative and held down fees through the recession,” Weisenauer continued.
The committee also decided to reduce the salary line of the recycling center operations by ceasing Saturdays and holiday hours, as well as advertising.
Ohio EPA Supervisor Andrew Booker was in attendance to give insight to the county. Speaking to the committee Booker said that the county was among good company with a lot of districts lowering tonnage.
Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser asked Booker why the county wasn’t making money on recycling.
“There is a misconception that you always make money when recycling. High commodity items such as aluminum always dies, but glass is a low commodity and it costs more,” Booker said. “When you collect a portfolio of materials there will be some gains and some loss, and when you have drop-off centers you will lose money always.”
Booker suggested curbside pickup of recyclable materials would be more profitable, and that grant monies are available by the Ohio EPA as well as other entities to set up curbside service within municipalities.
A plan draft is due by June 30. The EPA has 45 days in which to respond with comments. The final plan is due Oct. 1, 2016.