09/01/2010: "80K Free Trips To Dump Dumped By CC"

Taking one small step for managing the County budget, but one giant step for managing solid waste costs, the County Council on Tuesday passed a new Gate Fee of $5.00 to enter the dump, effectively ending the free ride for 80 thousand “customers” a year who come to the dump to recycle.

While the council was reluctant to charge the fee, not the least for the reason that it would apply to re-cycling, they nonetheless voted for the new charge as a “stop-gap” measure to raise money as they continued to work toward a long term solid waste funding solution.

The fee goes into effect on October 1st of this year, and is projected to raise close to a quarter million dollars that will be used to pay down an existing solid waste deficit -a deficit that auditor Milene Henley (see story “Minces No Words” above) has projected will grow to close to a million dollars by the end of year; unless the council takes action to raise money for solid waste.

Lopez councilmember Bob Myhr voted against the measure, citing his belief that charging for recycling is not the answer. Myhr was supportive of an increase in the “tipping fee” that is charged for those who drop off their garbage.