BRODHEAD - It was a meeting of like minds at the Green County Transfer Center on Thursday night, with the common goal of bringing Monroe back to membership status with the facility.
Members of the Green County Solid Waste Management Board discussed how to achieve this goal with Monroe alderwoman Brooke Bauman.
"I think all of you know I've been a supporter of the transfer center," Bauman said. "It's a relationship that I want to open up again. It's something that's a good thing for Monroe to be a part of."
Bauman had previously served on the board in conjunction with the city's membership at the transfer station before the partnership was terminated in January 2015, after three years of contract discussion. Negotiations for a new contract continued into August of that year, but came to a halt before the city began transferring waste directly to the Janesville landfill. The city has been transporting city waste to the landfill since late fall of 2015.
Board chairman Richard Vogel agreed when Bauman indicated the transfer center was faring well with its addition of collecting agricultural plastic, but he said he thinks of the membership of the station as a stool with Monroe, Brodhead and other member municipalities as the legs. Each equally serves to hold up the facility.
"We'd like to see Monroe back at this table," Vogel said. "We've tried to put together a plan where you'll be billed based on your tonnage. We want to take the surprises out of the budget."
Vogel said the recent proposal by the board to transfer center members had not yielded any complaints. However, it seemed that a number of municipalities were awaiting election results before committing to the plan.
Rather than adding or crediting amounts to each monthly bill, the board recently proposed the same monthly statements, but with an annual review and report to members indicating whether the facility fell into the red for the year or made gains. With this in mind, Vogel said each municipality could build any fees into the budget to be paid out following Jan. 1 of each year.
Bauman said the shift from a five-year contract was also more appealing to the city. Vogel pointed out that the facility is meant to aid area municipalities, not become a burden to the countywide members and said the contract is meaningless without the people behind it.
"We're here to serve the membership, not to lord over the membership," Vogel said. "We think this is a good move for everybody."
Bauman said she will take the updated information back for discussion with City Administrator Phil Rath, and that the issue will likely be posted as an agenda item during the first Monroe council meeting in May.
Members of the Green County Solid Waste Management Board discussed how to achieve this goal with Monroe alderwoman Brooke Bauman.
"I think all of you know I've been a supporter of the transfer center," Bauman said. "It's a relationship that I want to open up again. It's something that's a good thing for Monroe to be a part of."
Bauman had previously served on the board in conjunction with the city's membership at the transfer station before the partnership was terminated in January 2015, after three years of contract discussion. Negotiations for a new contract continued into August of that year, but came to a halt before the city began transferring waste directly to the Janesville landfill. The city has been transporting city waste to the landfill since late fall of 2015.
Board chairman Richard Vogel agreed when Bauman indicated the transfer center was faring well with its addition of collecting agricultural plastic, but he said he thinks of the membership of the station as a stool with Monroe, Brodhead and other member municipalities as the legs. Each equally serves to hold up the facility.
"We'd like to see Monroe back at this table," Vogel said. "We've tried to put together a plan where you'll be billed based on your tonnage. We want to take the surprises out of the budget."
Vogel said the recent proposal by the board to transfer center members had not yielded any complaints. However, it seemed that a number of municipalities were awaiting election results before committing to the plan.
Rather than adding or crediting amounts to each monthly bill, the board recently proposed the same monthly statements, but with an annual review and report to members indicating whether the facility fell into the red for the year or made gains. With this in mind, Vogel said each municipality could build any fees into the budget to be paid out following Jan. 1 of each year.
Bauman said the shift from a five-year contract was also more appealing to the city. Vogel pointed out that the facility is meant to aid area municipalities, not become a burden to the countywide members and said the contract is meaningless without the people behind it.
"We're here to serve the membership, not to lord over the membership," Vogel said. "We think this is a good move for everybody."
Bauman said she will take the updated information back for discussion with City Administrator Phil Rath, and that the issue will likely be posted as an agenda item during the first Monroe council meeting in May.