BRODHEAD - Next year's proposed budget that the Green County Solid Waste Management Board approved last week shows anticipated revenue dropping more than 35 percent from this year. But the entire budget is floating on unknowns expected to be revealed yet this fall, as the City of Monroe continues to debate the fate of its own trash pickup services.
The Monroe Common Council as a whole takes up the issue of automated garbage pickup and related financial issues at a meeting tonight, Sept. 18.
The board's balanced budget shows a marked decrease of nearly 40 percent in total expenditures, and nearly 37 percent in total revenues, compared to the 2012 budget. Randy Thompson, Green County's landfill department head, told the board at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 13 that he based the new budget on 6-month actual and yearly projected figures for 2012. The budget must still be approved by the county board.
The budget anticipates $726,000 in expenses and $756,000 in revenues. The 2012 budget was about $1.2 million in both revenues and expenses.
The largest loss of revenue in the budget comes in the operations account. Based on 6-month actual numbers, anticipated 2012 operation revenue is $700,000, down by 30 percent compared to the 2012 budget of $999,000, and down by 24 percent compared to actual 2011 figures.
For the 2013 budget, Thompson reduced the expected revenues from operation to just $660,000, or by 34 percent compared to this year's budget.
Decreasing revenue at the transfer station was first noticed in late 2011, when Thompson realized an estimated 70 percent of all the trash in the county was bypassing the county's transfer station near Brodhead. The decrease in usage came suddenly on Dec. 26, when Veolia Environmental Services, a private waste collection company, began redirecting its collected waste from Green County to a private landfill near Darian. (Veolia is currently in the midst of selling its U.S. solid waste activities to Star Atlantic Waste Holdings LP, a portfolio company of U.S.-based infrastructure fund manager Highstar Capital.)
In early 2012, Thompson and the board alerted the municipalities that use the transfer station to the problem. Since that time, some municipalities contracting with Veolia, including the county, have required their trash be taken to the Green County landfill and transfer station.
The effort, however, has not made up for the loss. Now, two-thirds of the way through 2012, the transfer station is only at 39 percent of its budgeted revenue for the year.
The board and Thompson await new uncertainties for the budget this fall.
Contracts with the user-member municipalities are coming due in the spring. Already, the Finance and Taxation Committee for the City of Monroe, by far the largest user-member, holding about 54 percent interest in the station assets, voted Monday, Aug. 27 to notify the transfer station of its intent to renegotiate its contract.
Thompson said he had not received official notification of the city's newest action and doesn't know what in its contract the city wants to renegotiate. "Nobody tells me," he said.
Without knowing what's in the minds of Monroe leaders, Thompson said he's trying to figure out how to make the transfer station "survive without Monroe."
The city has until the end of October to submit its letter of intent.
No other municipalities have submitted such letters yet, either. Municipal user-members contracts come due this spring.
Monroe's use of the transfer station was 54.2 percent in 2011. This year it has been 47.67 percent. Because Monroe's share of usage has declined, some of the other members have seen their shares go up. Brodhead rose from 12 percent in 2011 to 17 percent this year. The Village of Monticello, which still picks up its own trash, saw its share of expenses rise from 2.56 percent to 4.67 percent - an 82 percent increase. Albany township is up to 1.88 percent from 1 percent in 2011, an 88 percent increase. The county's usage rose from 1.26 percent to 2.76 percent - jumping 118 percent.
Some municipalities did see a fall in their percentage, which could be an indication that their trash is no longer going to the transfer station. The towns of Avon, Decatur, Jefferson, My Pleasant, Spring Grove, and Sylvester all saw their usage shares drop. These municipalities' usages have been cut 16 to 62 percent.
Part of the expense puzzle is the continuing care of the landfill, which has been closed but must be maintained according to Department of Natural Resources' environmental standards.
The annual cost of the "perpetual care" for the landfill is about $50,000 in 2012. For the City of Monroe, that will cost $27,000 this year, based on its 54 percent usage in 2011. Next year, the cost will change according to the usage shares, just as it will for operation costs.
The Monroe Common Council as a whole takes up the issue of automated garbage pickup and related financial issues at a meeting tonight, Sept. 18.
The board's balanced budget shows a marked decrease of nearly 40 percent in total expenditures, and nearly 37 percent in total revenues, compared to the 2012 budget. Randy Thompson, Green County's landfill department head, told the board at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 13 that he based the new budget on 6-month actual and yearly projected figures for 2012. The budget must still be approved by the county board.
The budget anticipates $726,000 in expenses and $756,000 in revenues. The 2012 budget was about $1.2 million in both revenues and expenses.
The largest loss of revenue in the budget comes in the operations account. Based on 6-month actual numbers, anticipated 2012 operation revenue is $700,000, down by 30 percent compared to the 2012 budget of $999,000, and down by 24 percent compared to actual 2011 figures.
For the 2013 budget, Thompson reduced the expected revenues from operation to just $660,000, or by 34 percent compared to this year's budget.
Decreasing revenue at the transfer station was first noticed in late 2011, when Thompson realized an estimated 70 percent of all the trash in the county was bypassing the county's transfer station near Brodhead. The decrease in usage came suddenly on Dec. 26, when Veolia Environmental Services, a private waste collection company, began redirecting its collected waste from Green County to a private landfill near Darian. (Veolia is currently in the midst of selling its U.S. solid waste activities to Star Atlantic Waste Holdings LP, a portfolio company of U.S.-based infrastructure fund manager Highstar Capital.)
In early 2012, Thompson and the board alerted the municipalities that use the transfer station to the problem. Since that time, some municipalities contracting with Veolia, including the county, have required their trash be taken to the Green County landfill and transfer station.
The effort, however, has not made up for the loss. Now, two-thirds of the way through 2012, the transfer station is only at 39 percent of its budgeted revenue for the year.
The board and Thompson await new uncertainties for the budget this fall.
Contracts with the user-member municipalities are coming due in the spring. Already, the Finance and Taxation Committee for the City of Monroe, by far the largest user-member, holding about 54 percent interest in the station assets, voted Monday, Aug. 27 to notify the transfer station of its intent to renegotiate its contract.
Thompson said he had not received official notification of the city's newest action and doesn't know what in its contract the city wants to renegotiate. "Nobody tells me," he said.
Without knowing what's in the minds of Monroe leaders, Thompson said he's trying to figure out how to make the transfer station "survive without Monroe."
The city has until the end of October to submit its letter of intent.
No other municipalities have submitted such letters yet, either. Municipal user-members contracts come due this spring.
Monroe's use of the transfer station was 54.2 percent in 2011. This year it has been 47.67 percent. Because Monroe's share of usage has declined, some of the other members have seen their shares go up. Brodhead rose from 12 percent in 2011 to 17 percent this year. The Village of Monticello, which still picks up its own trash, saw its share of expenses rise from 2.56 percent to 4.67 percent - an 82 percent increase. Albany township is up to 1.88 percent from 1 percent in 2011, an 88 percent increase. The county's usage rose from 1.26 percent to 2.76 percent - jumping 118 percent.
Some municipalities did see a fall in their percentage, which could be an indication that their trash is no longer going to the transfer station. The towns of Avon, Decatur, Jefferson, My Pleasant, Spring Grove, and Sylvester all saw their usage shares drop. These municipalities' usages have been cut 16 to 62 percent.
Part of the expense puzzle is the continuing care of the landfill, which has been closed but must be maintained according to Department of Natural Resources' environmental standards.
The annual cost of the "perpetual care" for the landfill is about $50,000 in 2012. For the City of Monroe, that will cost $27,000 this year, based on its 54 percent usage in 2011. Next year, the cost will change according to the usage shares, just as it will for operation costs.