Bath County Supervisors are done talking trash
By Bonnie Ralston
Solid waste contracts are finally approved in Bath County. At Tuesday night’s Bath Board of Supervisors meeting the board unanimously voted to approve a five year contract with both Republic Services and Jack’s Trash Service for solid waste management and recycling services.
Republic Services will add a compactor at both the transfer station site and the West Warm Springs collection site. A roll off container and a compactor will be located at the transfer station site and white goods will also still be accepted at the transfer station site.
Before the vote on the contracts, Supervisor Claire Collins asked for clarification to be sure that the same types of waste would still be accepted at the transfer station site. It was explained that the same waste would be accepted, but now it will be dumped into a roll off container or a compactor, instead of on the floor of the transfer station building. Collins said she voted in favor of the contracts since it is not going to change what people can take up to the transfer station site. She said this trash issue took time and caused stress and there may still be some public perception out there that this is not going to be a good thing. But she said the same partners are still contracting with the county, the same partners that hire local people and she added that no jobs were lost in this process. Collins said most concerns about the process came out of the Cedar Creek District with worries about the transfer station site possibly closing.
The board took no action on a request from the Millboro Preservation and Cultural Association to be exempt from property taxes. County Administrator Ashton Harrison explained that to make such an exemption, the current county ordinance would have to be modified to allow for exemptions of non-profits. He said the board can’t just pick and choose which could be exempt, and once an exemption is made, it has to apply to all non-profits. Harrison said this is something for the board to consider for the future as it works on the county code, but said the board can’t make that motion now for an exemption. And Supervisor Claire Collins added that a public hearing would also have to be held before modifying the ordinance.
Also on Tuesday night the VDOT public hearing was held on the six year secondary system construction program. The board unanimously approved the program and the budget for it.
And the board also approved a broadband planning grant contract. A $40,000 grant has been received for this joint project with Highland County to study telecommunications needs in the area.
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