BRODHEAD - After a month in review, a proposal by the City of Monroe to restructure the county transfer station oversight body did not get support from the county's Solid Waste Management Board Thursday.
Brian Bucholtz, the county's attorney, recommended not going along with the Monroe proposal, which he said leaves the county with liability but no control.
"If the county doesn't run it, I recommend the county not have anything to do with it," he told the board.
Board members found the biggest deal-breaker in the proposal creating a commission of municipality users was the weighted vote aspect. Board member Pat Davis called the weighted vote component the "albatross" in the proposal.
"Nobody wants weighted vote," said Randy Thompson, transfer station manager.
According to the proposal, each municipality would get a seat on the commission, and most business would be conducted under a one-member, one-vote process. But the proposal also allows any member to call for a weighed vote, which gives more weight to the vote of municipalities with larger populations.
The board intends to present a counter proposal to Monroe, one that may include more city representation on the current board.
County code allows up to 15 members on the board, who are appointed by the county supervisor chairman, currently Art Carter.
Harvey Mandel noted that more board members, who are paid mileage and per diem for meetings, would mean a greater expense for the transfer station, and several board members agreed that more members would not change the way the station does business to keep prices down.
Current members include five county supervisors, including Nate Klassy representing Monroe, and four citizen appointees. All board members are citizens of the transfer station's municipal users.
Three members of the board, Rich Vogel, Nate Klassy and Pat Davis, volunteered to create a subcommittee to meet with Bucholtz to draft a new proposal sometime next week. The group hopes to have the draft completed for presentation to the city by May. Board members believe the station cannot remain open without the City of Monroe as one if its user members.
Whatever the station's future, current members are responsible for maintaining two closed landfills for many years to come. Maintenance requirements, including water testing, engineering and mowing, are dictated by the Department of Natural Resources.
The board voted unanimously to have on-going maintenance costs specific to the landfills broken out from operational costs on the budget and on monthly user bills, to create more transparency in budgeting. Based on its relative usage, the City of Monroe will be responsible for 56 of the older landfill and 60.5 percent of the newer landfill that was closed in 1999. Brodhead will pay 22 and 10.4 percent. Other municipal users will pay between 0 and 8.33 percent, based on their usage.
Brian Bucholtz, the county's attorney, recommended not going along with the Monroe proposal, which he said leaves the county with liability but no control.
"If the county doesn't run it, I recommend the county not have anything to do with it," he told the board.
Board members found the biggest deal-breaker in the proposal creating a commission of municipality users was the weighted vote aspect. Board member Pat Davis called the weighted vote component the "albatross" in the proposal.
"Nobody wants weighted vote," said Randy Thompson, transfer station manager.
According to the proposal, each municipality would get a seat on the commission, and most business would be conducted under a one-member, one-vote process. But the proposal also allows any member to call for a weighed vote, which gives more weight to the vote of municipalities with larger populations.
The board intends to present a counter proposal to Monroe, one that may include more city representation on the current board.
County code allows up to 15 members on the board, who are appointed by the county supervisor chairman, currently Art Carter.
Harvey Mandel noted that more board members, who are paid mileage and per diem for meetings, would mean a greater expense for the transfer station, and several board members agreed that more members would not change the way the station does business to keep prices down.
Current members include five county supervisors, including Nate Klassy representing Monroe, and four citizen appointees. All board members are citizens of the transfer station's municipal users.
Three members of the board, Rich Vogel, Nate Klassy and Pat Davis, volunteered to create a subcommittee to meet with Bucholtz to draft a new proposal sometime next week. The group hopes to have the draft completed for presentation to the city by May. Board members believe the station cannot remain open without the City of Monroe as one if its user members.
Whatever the station's future, current members are responsible for maintaining two closed landfills for many years to come. Maintenance requirements, including water testing, engineering and mowing, are dictated by the Department of Natural Resources.
The board voted unanimously to have on-going maintenance costs specific to the landfills broken out from operational costs on the budget and on monthly user bills, to create more transparency in budgeting. Based on its relative usage, the City of Monroe will be responsible for 56 of the older landfill and 60.5 percent of the newer landfill that was closed in 1999. Brodhead will pay 22 and 10.4 percent. Other municipal users will pay between 0 and 8.33 percent, based on their usage.