Pocahontas Solid Waste Authority Sets 2019-2020 Green Box Fees
At their April 24th meeting, the Pocahontas County Solid Waste Authority began by holding public hearings on their Commercial Solid Waste Siting Plan and their Comprehensive Litter and solid Waste Control Plan. These hearings were over in a flash since other than this reporter, all other attendees were either the Solid Waste Authority Members or Authority employees.
Written comments about the Siting Plan can be sent to the Authority Office up until the close of business on May 6th and the vote to adopt that plan will be held at the Solid Waste Authorities May meeting. There will be a second public meeting about the Comprehensive Solid Waste Control Plan held at the Authority’s May meeting.
Links to copies of each of these lengthy plans can be found at the end of this story.
The Authority set the annual Green Box Fee for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2020 at $107.00 per year with a three-dollar discount if it is paid before September 15, 2019. This is the same rate at in this current fiscal year. Authority Board Member Jamie Walker questioned how effective a discount of only three dollars was in encouraging people to pay their Green Box Fee before September 15th, and was assured by Ed Riley, the Chairman of the Authority, that offering that small discount did seem to help in that regard.
A flyer was passed out at the meeting announcing a Free Tire Collection day at the County Landfill on Saturday, May 18th from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. There is a limit of 10 tires per person. Rims are also accepted. Each person has to present a valid West Virginia Driver’s License and businesses are not allowed.
Also, at this meeting the Authority passed a permanent policy regarding the necessity to present a receipt at the landfill showing that one has paid either the Green Box Fee or annual landfill fee before disposing of household furnishings at the landfill or they would have to pay a “tipping fee.” Prior to the approval of the permanent policy at this meeting, there had been a temporary policy. That fairness of that policy had been questioned at a recent County Commission Meeting. The permanent policy passed at this meeting allows someone who had paid a fee but did not have their receipt with them to go ahead and dump, but would have to either produce the receipt within five days or be billed for the tipping fee. It was noted that if a bill sent for this fee is not paid within 90 days, it will be referred to Magistrates Court. Jamie Walker expressed his opinion that if any tipping fee tickets need to be voided, it should be done by the Authority at a meeting rather then by employees at the landfill, His suggestion was incorporated in the motion which passed to approve the policy.
They discussed the sale of a 2000 pick-up truck no longer needed at the Landfill. They had advertised for bids to purchase the truck, but received none, although two people had come out and looked at it. They approved a motion to recontact those people, and if they are not interested in purchasing it, it will be sold as scrap to the Jacob Meck Company.
There was a discussion about the disposal of household appliances and scrap metal collected at the Landfill. Although they could receive more money by selling it the Birch River Scrap Yard, after figuring in the expense of transporting it to that distant location, it would be easier and cheaper to sell it to Jacob Meck for $40.00 a ton. The sale to Meck was approved by the authority.
They authorized the publication of requests for proposal for the recycling of tires, white goods such as refrigerators and other appliances, and electronics.
The next meeting of the Pocahontas County Solid Waste authority will be held at 7 p.m. in the County Courthouse on Wednesday, May 29th.
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