MONROE - Monroe residents won't be able to take garbage to the Green County transfer station beginning Dec. 1.
The policy change was announced in a news release sent to The Monroe Times early Tuesday morning. The release says the transfer station will no longer accept any waste materials from non-member municipalities. This includes Monroe residents.
The release says it will not affect contracted commercial haulers or hauler permit holders.
Steve Stettler, a member of the county's solid waste management committee that oversees the transfer station and the Green County supervisor for Decatur, said the policy change to exclude non-members is necessary for the transfer station to continue functioning as it has. Stettler said those who are paying the non-member gate fee are not offsetting the cost of operating the facility, even though that fee is higher. Stettler said because of this, the facility has to pull from its contingency fund to make up the difference.
He said it also places a larger burden on the small townships that pay membership fees to the transfer station.
He said it was "unfair" and what led the committee to decide unanimously in favor of the new rule.
"If you choose not to be a member, it gets to be a problem," Stettler said. "It's only fair for people to pay the same amount as others."
The transfer station serves as a dumping point for trash collected by communities throughout Green County before it's taken to a landfill in Janesville.
For the city of Monroe, it could be viewed as retaliation for taking its garbage elsewhere.
After three years of discussion, Monroe dropped its
contract with the landfill in January. The city continued to haul the trash it collects from residential garbage pick-up there as a non-member, paying a higher tipping fee at the gate, as the two sides tried to work out a contract. Those contract negotiations came to an end
in late August, with both
sides saying the other was unwilling to work with the other party.
This fall, the city decided to begin hauling its trash directly to Janesville over the next few months on a trial basis. City officials said at the time
that they were assured by the solid waste committee that the city and its residents could continue to bring trash to the transfer station regardless of where the city hauls the trash from residential trash collection.
City administrator Phil Rath said Tuesday that he was unhappy to see the change and that the new policy will limit the city's choices.
"I find it disappointing that a function of the county would disenfranchise a part of its population," Rath said.
Both Rath and Stettler said they would be happy to negotiate a membership contract once more, but neither has any intention of changing their stance.
While Rath said there were never plans for "closing the door all together" on the idea of renewing its membership, Stettler said the landfill would not give the city special privileges at the expense of other townships.
"Monroe seems to think they should get a better deal than everybody else, and we can't do that," Stettler said. "You have to treat every member equally."
According to the release, communities that are members of the transfer station are: Town of Albany, Town of Avon (Rock County), Town of Clarno, Town of Decatur, Town of Jefferson, Town of Mt. Pleasant, Town of Spring Grove, Village of Albany, Village of Monticello, Village of New Glarus and City of Brodhead.
People may be required to show proof of residency before being allowed to dump waste at the transfer station.
The policy change was announced in a news release sent to The Monroe Times early Tuesday morning. The release says the transfer station will no longer accept any waste materials from non-member municipalities. This includes Monroe residents.
The release says it will not affect contracted commercial haulers or hauler permit holders.
Steve Stettler, a member of the county's solid waste management committee that oversees the transfer station and the Green County supervisor for Decatur, said the policy change to exclude non-members is necessary for the transfer station to continue functioning as it has. Stettler said those who are paying the non-member gate fee are not offsetting the cost of operating the facility, even though that fee is higher. Stettler said because of this, the facility has to pull from its contingency fund to make up the difference.
He said it also places a larger burden on the small townships that pay membership fees to the transfer station.
He said it was "unfair" and what led the committee to decide unanimously in favor of the new rule.
"If you choose not to be a member, it gets to be a problem," Stettler said. "It's only fair for people to pay the same amount as others."
The transfer station serves as a dumping point for trash collected by communities throughout Green County before it's taken to a landfill in Janesville.
For the city of Monroe, it could be viewed as retaliation for taking its garbage elsewhere.
After three years of discussion, Monroe dropped its
contract with the landfill in January. The city continued to haul the trash it collects from residential garbage pick-up there as a non-member, paying a higher tipping fee at the gate, as the two sides tried to work out a contract. Those contract negotiations came to an end
in late August, with both
sides saying the other was unwilling to work with the other party.
This fall, the city decided to begin hauling its trash directly to Janesville over the next few months on a trial basis. City officials said at the time
that they were assured by the solid waste committee that the city and its residents could continue to bring trash to the transfer station regardless of where the city hauls the trash from residential trash collection.
City administrator Phil Rath said Tuesday that he was unhappy to see the change and that the new policy will limit the city's choices.
"I find it disappointing that a function of the county would disenfranchise a part of its population," Rath said.
Both Rath and Stettler said they would be happy to negotiate a membership contract once more, but neither has any intention of changing their stance.
While Rath said there were never plans for "closing the door all together" on the idea of renewing its membership, Stettler said the landfill would not give the city special privileges at the expense of other townships.
"Monroe seems to think they should get a better deal than everybody else, and we can't do that," Stettler said. "You have to treat every member equally."
According to the release, communities that are members of the transfer station are: Town of Albany, Town of Avon (Rock County), Town of Clarno, Town of Decatur, Town of Jefferson, Town of Mt. Pleasant, Town of Spring Grove, Village of Albany, Village of Monticello, Village of New Glarus and City of Brodhead.
People may be required to show proof of residency before being allowed to dump waste at the transfer station.