MONROE - The Green County Solid Waste board says the transfer station is in good shape heading into 2016, despite earlier concerns that the facility would face financial hardship and may be forced to close should it lose the city of Monroe as a member.
Representatives of the transfer station, which is a holding place for garbage collected in the county before being transported and buried in Janesville, had expressed concern about its financial viability during contract negotiations with Monroe and other member communities over the past year.
Monroe, its biggest contributor of waste materials, withdrew its membership earlier this year. Monroe officials maintain the city is hit with unnecessarily fluctuating monthly fees as members, making it difficult to budget for trash disposal. The city has been using the transfer station as non-members, which means it pays a slightly higher fee to dump refuse but it no longer is subject to additional, unknown fees.
Earlier this month, waste board members got a look at budget projections. Figures were similar to expectations, and unless there is a "major change" the station should continue to function as usual, members said. They agreed that the facility has been able to stay within its usual operating capacity. The transfer station was also able to add a full-time employee recently.
In its proposed 2016 budget, the transfer station is projected to end 2015 nearly $16,000 in the black. This positive trend is expected to carry over into the 2016 budget, which will be nearly doubly positive from this year.
Meanwhile, Monroe has been pursuing its options after again rejecting a proposed contract with the transfer station on Sept. 1. The Monroe Common Council decided to continue paying the flat fee as non-members until other avenues could be considered.
Monroe Public Works director Colin Simpson laid out costs for alternatives to using the transfer station at the board of public works meeting last week. Simpson laid out the costs for the use of the county station in both a contractual and non-member scenario, and the option of transporting trash directly to the Janesville landfill; either five or four days per week. With a change from the non-member rate of $55 per ton of garbage to an everyday transport directly to Janesville, which charges a gate fee of $35 per ton, Simpson said the city would save nearly $15,000 and would retain $62,000 from its original contract with the transfer station.
Alder Jeff Newcomer questioned why the city wasn't considering Advanced Disposal, the trash removal service in Monroe. Simpson said it would be the least expensive option, but aldermen Richard Thoman, Michael Boyce and Charles Koch said the city should keep residents' opinions in mind.
Thoman, who represents the area around Advanced Disposal on the city's west side, said there have been complaints of both smell and rodent problems in the past. Boyce recommended a trial basis of transporting the waste directly to Janesville.
Simpson said if the city sees a positive outcome by changing to the direct transport plan, it could switch to picking up trash four days per week instead of five.
Representatives of the transfer station, which is a holding place for garbage collected in the county before being transported and buried in Janesville, had expressed concern about its financial viability during contract negotiations with Monroe and other member communities over the past year.
Monroe, its biggest contributor of waste materials, withdrew its membership earlier this year. Monroe officials maintain the city is hit with unnecessarily fluctuating monthly fees as members, making it difficult to budget for trash disposal. The city has been using the transfer station as non-members, which means it pays a slightly higher fee to dump refuse but it no longer is subject to additional, unknown fees.
Earlier this month, waste board members got a look at budget projections. Figures were similar to expectations, and unless there is a "major change" the station should continue to function as usual, members said. They agreed that the facility has been able to stay within its usual operating capacity. The transfer station was also able to add a full-time employee recently.
In its proposed 2016 budget, the transfer station is projected to end 2015 nearly $16,000 in the black. This positive trend is expected to carry over into the 2016 budget, which will be nearly doubly positive from this year.
Meanwhile, Monroe has been pursuing its options after again rejecting a proposed contract with the transfer station on Sept. 1. The Monroe Common Council decided to continue paying the flat fee as non-members until other avenues could be considered.
Monroe Public Works director Colin Simpson laid out costs for alternatives to using the transfer station at the board of public works meeting last week. Simpson laid out the costs for the use of the county station in both a contractual and non-member scenario, and the option of transporting trash directly to the Janesville landfill; either five or four days per week. With a change from the non-member rate of $55 per ton of garbage to an everyday transport directly to Janesville, which charges a gate fee of $35 per ton, Simpson said the city would save nearly $15,000 and would retain $62,000 from its original contract with the transfer station.
Alder Jeff Newcomer questioned why the city wasn't considering Advanced Disposal, the trash removal service in Monroe. Simpson said it would be the least expensive option, but aldermen Richard Thoman, Michael Boyce and Charles Koch said the city should keep residents' opinions in mind.
Thoman, who represents the area around Advanced Disposal on the city's west side, said there have been complaints of both smell and rodent problems in the past. Boyce recommended a trial basis of transporting the waste directly to Janesville.
Simpson said if the city sees a positive outcome by changing to the direct transport plan, it could switch to picking up trash four days per week instead of five.