Highland County Board of Supervisors Receive Information on Recycling and Other Items

There were other items on the agenda at the monthly meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 than the proposed school budget for the upcoming year.  One of the topics involved the county’s recycling.  Since April 1st, the county does not have access to any market to recycle plastic or glass, as the vendors they’ve been using no longer accept those items.  However, the county’s Solid Waste and Recycling Staff are working with other localities about possible joint opportunities for recycling, but there are no solutions yet.  The staff still does encourage people to continue recycling glass and plastic with the expectation they will be able to resume recycling of these items in the future.  For now, however, when the bins get full, those items will be disposed of as trash.  There are still recycling vendors for such items as cardboard, paper, aluminum, tin, metal, and tires, and the Solid Waste, Recycling and Public Works Department thanks the citizens for their continued efforts to recycle.  At the request of Commonwealth Attorney, Melissa Dowd, the Board plans to go on record to legislators stating they are not able to recycle glass and plastic, and they hope the state will address the issue to help solve the problem.  In case Highland County does not meet the state mandate to recycle a certain percentage of trash this year, this move will also provide a valid reason as to why.

In addition, the public was informed that the burning pit at the Solid Waste and Recycling Center does need to have necessary repairs and will be closed for approximately one month.  During that time, the county will not be able to accept any wood products at the site.  They are anticipating work may start the first of May, with ample advertising provided about the temporary closure.  Finally, surplus vehicles and other items at the site, like a trailer and pipes, were granted authority to be sold at auction as another option besides the usual method of sealed bids for removal.

In new business, the Board approved a request from Highland County Sheriff, David Neil, to allow $2,500 to deal with Augusta County Sheriff’s Department for a surplus vehicle.  The Board also moved to allow Sheriff Neil to transfer $3,000 in money that was budgeted to pay for task force dues over to a new purpose for the completion of the sheriff’s department’s incident command trailer.

Moving on, Board Chairman, Kevin Wagner, let the public know that he will not be seeking re-election this year and that it has been an honor to serve during his time on the Board of Supervisors.

In other news, the Board adopted a resolution commending the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission on its 50th Anniversary and adopted a proclamation in recognition of April as National County Government Month.

In the future, a new budget work session was set for Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. to meet with more departments, and another potential meeting was scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. as needed.  Melissa Dowd also informed the Board of an upcoming meeting with the Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission on Thursday, April 25, 2019, where there will be a presentation on solar power in relation to the county’s comprehensive plan.

Finally, during the open public comment period, Sheriff David Neil brought up concerns about potholes and poor road conditions on Rt. 250, especially on Jack Mountain, as we enter in to the motorcycle season.  Kevin Wagner responded that it’s the time of year for VDOT to begin soft patching the roads.

Story By

Chris Swecker

is the Assistant Station Coordinator and a News Reporter for WVLS. He has roots in Highland County going back several generations, and he grew up in Monterey. Since graduating from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts and Design, he has pursued his career at a news station and advertising agency in Virginia, on Microsoft’s campus in the state of Washington, and in both states as sole owner and employee of a video production company. He enjoys exploring life with his wife, Jessa Fowler, traveling, hiking, hunting, gardening, and trying new foods, all while discovering more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. He feels blessed to be a small part of this talented AMR team to help give back to the community that has provided him with so much.

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