Solid waste board looks at recycling changes
Paper recycling policy effective July 1, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
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BELLAIRE - Jefferson-Belmont Regional Solid Waste Authority met in council chambers Monday, discussing and acting on changes to how the board will operate its paper recycling operations and also selecting members to sit on a committee charged with finding a new director.
Under new business, Tom Bottorf, interim director and board chairman, proposed changes to how the authority spends money collected from recycling paper, which is the only material for which the authority is reimbursed from Valley Converting.
Schools will continue to see 100 percent of the money returned to them, but for businesses and nonprofits, the authority will be keeping some of the money earned from recycling to help fund the operation.
The authority is looking to keep 25 percent of the money received when paper collected from businesses and nonprofit organizations is turned in. Nonprofits will continue to get 75 percent of the money, while businesses can designate a school to receive the rest of the money.
Public collection sites do not receive any reimbursements.
After some discussion, the board also decided to limit the number of nonprofits that participate in the program.
The topic of classifying a nonprofit was brought up, with the board setting aside a new rule that will only allow "qualified" nonprofits to participate in paper recycling collection.
Board member Bard Godwin said the businesses and nonprofits that are not currently participating in the authority's program can transport their own paper to Valley Converting to have paper recycled where they can be reimbursed directly.
The board will not pick up and haul medical records that have not been shredded, it was noted.
The board also approved the use of $5,000 to hire a police officer or sheriff's deputy to be security during tire collections after it was reported that some people are coming to the sites after they are closed and dropping off truck loads of tires, some with rims still on.
"I think what's going on is there are some entrepreneurial people out their going around to tire companies and taking the tires for a payment and instead of disposing of them properly, are dumping them off in our communities," said board member Darrin Corrigan. "It's a total misuse of our program we provide for tire collection."
The motion was unanimously approved.
In other action, four board members agreed to be involved in the search for a new director for the solid waste authority.
Bottorf was named the interim director in May after former Executive Director Patrick Lanaghan resigned. Those who will serve on the search committee are board members Jim King, Bill Weekley, John Abdalla and Corrigan.
The board also approved a motion to reimburse employees $20 a month for use of their personal cell phones for business purposes.
The next board meeting is set for 5 p.m. July 13 in Wintersville
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