Pocahontas County Green Box Fees To Stay The Same For 2011

Marlinton, WV – With little fanfare the Pocahontas County Solid Waste Authority voted to keep the Green Box fees at the current level during their April meeting. The fee is $98.00 with a three dollar discount if the fee is paid by September 15th, 2011. At a previous special hearing on the fees, the board heard opposition to the fee from only three county residents.

SWA Administrative Assistance Mary Clendenin gave the board an update on recent Circuit Court proceedings for collection of past due Green Box fees. The SWA filed a case in 2007 against a long list of those who were in arrears for the fee. In 2010, 110 legal abstracts were filed in connection with the 2007 case. Clendenin explains the purpose of the abstract.

“The abstract judgments are a last resort; we file a lien on the property if we can collect it any other way” she says.

At a April 2011 hearing, Clendenin says eight cases related to the 2007 court filing were heard by Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pomponio.

“The reason that he was discussing those was because we filed for a summary judgment” says Clendenin. “All of those people basically used the reason that they take their trash back to another county for disposal. The judge granted us summary judgments on all eight of those; and he said that Judge Rowe had already decided that taking garbage back to another county is not acceptable for disposal. And that Pocahontas County property owners benefit from the Green Boxes, and that property owners in Pocahontas County have to comply with the county’s mandatory garbage regulations.”

She says there are five more cases pending to be heard in the Circuit Court. In addition to these, the SWA also filed another case this year, with about 47 participants.

In other business, the SWA received four bids for their annual electronics recycling day. The winning bid is for $250.00 from Scott Recycling of Knoxville, TN. They also choose A. Greenspan Computer Recycling, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA as the second choice if Scott Recycling is unable to fulfill their contract.