Pastor has complaint about NIC – Some Businesses Face $2,000 Increase with Landfill Rate Increase

This meeting was unique in that it transitioned from the prayer by Pastor Carter from the First Baptist Church of West Alexandria into the public comments area. The Pastor had a complaint about NIC. The Pastor was waiting on someone to arrive who had dealt with NIC

File 3 continued the public comment area of the meeting with Kevin Turner the Educational Service Center Superintendant.

File 5 had a return to the NIC issue when a member from the First Baptist Church of West Alexandria arrived and explained the issue. The issue expanded to a claim that a person from NIC had degraded people. Chad Hoke from Building and Zoning will check into the issue for the commission.

File 7 had the third landfill rate adjustment hearing. This meeting appears to have had only one member from the public attend, a citizen from College Corner. Matthew McNeely from Rumpke had been asked to attend by Kyle Cross. Matthew added some thoughts on the issue and also mentioned that some businesses will be facing an increase of $2,000 a year.  The Rumpke landfill has an expected lifespan at this point of 30 years. 

Commissioner Wesler put the expected life span of the Preble Landfill at 48 years.  Dave also claimed that the costs to residents would be 60 cents a week. The keyword being  “residents” and that does not include an increase from Rumpke because of the tipping fee increase. Matthew stated “I can guarantee an increase.”

There is a good bit of political butt covering on this assessment increase. The claims of not knowing just don’t ring true. Check the October 13, 2010 meeting post for confirmation that this was an issue last year that was put off.  I reported an assessment increase as a “November surprise” for after the election last year but the issue was not dealt with until now.

An example of the tonnage problem can be found at the September 20, 2010 meeting, see file 7. The tonnage was up that month only because of an unexpected large number of hauls of contaminated dog food from Proctor and Gamble (Iams in Lewisburg).  As reported in the Economic Development Update at the October 3, 2011 meeting , the company will be out of the building and the county by the end of the year. Companies leaving Preble County and moving to Montgomery County is having a major impact on tonnage at the landfill.  For more on the fact that the financial stability of the landfill was an issue last year see file 7 from the August 16, 2010 meeting.   

The assessment increase passed with a  3 – 0 vote.

Preble County, Ohio

Preble County Commissioners

October 5, 2011

Three Commissioners in attendance

File 1

I. OPEN MEETING

II. CALL OF ROLL

III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

IV. PRAYER

Pastor Jerry Carter from First Baptist Church of West Alexandria

End 1.52 minute mark on CD – 438 KB

File 2

V. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Pastor Carter reveals he was also a Colonel in U.S. Military and then proceeds to register a complaint about NIC. He knows how to inspect… feels there has been a disservice… mentions "nit picking".

Charge of an extra $300 for extra visits.

Church is own contractor.

Audio of commissioners could be better.

Please listen to audio.

8.75 minute mark on cd  

6.56 minutes – 1.58 MB

File 3

8.8 Minute mark   Kevin Turner – Educational Service Center Superintendant. Shared Services.

15.5 Minute mark   Kevin mentions that a Randy Cole claimed at one point that there was no reason for every township to have a Clerk. Kevin informed him that he believed that the Ohio Revised Code required that they have a Clerk.

16.65 minute mark on cd  

7.57 minutes – 1.82 MB

File 4

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #577-11-153

RE: AUTH. PAYMENT – PROS. ATTY. ($105.00); SHERIFF ($1,485.37); CERTIFICATE OF TITLE ($321.36); SOLDIERS RELIEF ($155.08)

B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #580-11-153

TRANSFER OF FUNDS – VARIOUS DEPTS.

C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. #581-11-153

RE: SUPPLE. APPROP. – COURT COMPUTERIZATION – COMMON PLEAS CT. ($2,000.00)

CORRESPONDENCE & REPORT

A. NOTE RECEIPT OF & CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A LEGAL AD, BID SPECS & BID FORM

RE: PCSD #2 SANITARY SEWER LINE REHAB – PCSD #2 WWTP IMPROVEMENTS

TRAVEL REQUESTS

NOTE RECEIPT & CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING TRAVEL REQUESTS:

A. RES. #578-11-153 – KAREN ADAMS – JFS Cost not to exceed $10

Back noise issue

Between meeting conversations and stories.

37.2 minute mark on cd  

20.25 minutes – 4.67 MB

File 5

Larry Hollanbaugh sp? First Baptist Church of West Alex.

Chad Hoke from Building & Zoning Office also present.

Larry on dealing with John ?? of NIC. Claims that John degraded people.

Listen to the audio.

40.5 Minute mark    Smoke bomb issue.

41.5 Minute mark    Extra $300 charge for inspections.

44 Minute mark   Commissioner Wesler asks Chad if he knew anything about it. Chad was in Columbus at the time.


44.5 minute mark on cd  

7.21 minutes – 1.68 MB

File 6

Matthew McNeely of Rumpke comes in chamber, Engineer's office?

48 Minute mark    Legal ad approval.

50 Minute mark    Another resolution having something to do with scrap metal is passed. Hard to tell with Matthew talking to someone else.

51 Minute mark    Tish Plaugher and Steve Simmons come in.

Multiple conversations going on.

1 hr.  2.1 minute mark on cd  

17.38 minutes – 4.03 MB

File 7

PUBLIC HEARING #3 – LANDFILL RATE ADJUSTMENTS

A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RES. # 579-11-153

RE: AMENDING THE RATES & CHARGES PER ORC 343.08 FOR SOLID WASTE

DISPOSAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PREBLE COUNTY SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AT THE PREBLE COUNTY SANITARY LANDFILL

1 hr. 19 Minute mark   Public comments

Matthew McNeely  – Rumpke. Discusses recycling. Landfills pricing themselves out of existence. More recycling needed. Increase is hard with some businesses facing an increase of $2,000 a year.

Rumpke landfill has an additional 30 years of life.

Discusses trash issue and cost.

1 hr. 24.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Wesler – on not acting sooner or expecting this type of increase. Takes issue with people from evening meeting. Preble County could take in twice as much trash with no extra people. Lifespan of Preble Landfill at 48 years.

1 hr. 27 Minute mark   Mentions rethinking solid waste district to include Darke County trash and have Rumpke haul it to Preble.

Commissioner Wesler –  60 cents a week increase. Claims great asset in county.

1 hr. 29 Minute mark    Matthew McNeely  – Rumpke – regulated ourselves into a corner.

1 hr. 31 Minute mark   Citizen from College Corner.

1 hr. 34 Minute mark   Commissioner Wesler – Asks Matthew what the cost to residents will be with tipping fee increase.  

Matthew – I can guarantee an increase. Nothing static, cost of doing business goes up.

1 hr. 38 Minute mark    Commissioner Wesler – mentions costs of other counties.

1 hr. 40 Minute mark   Commissioner Day offers his view.

1 hr. 41.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Stonecash – Several things have been brought up. One of the main things is that we have to be financially responsible. The landfill has to at least break even or hopefully be a little bit in the black. Why rates weren't changed over the last few years, I don't know, I wasn't here. I do know that we have to do what is required to do what will make the landfill stable. Preble County residents many of them here the other night that who had no solutions were ones that basically established we are in today. By not taking out of county trash, keeping our current landfill. I remember much of that conversation because I attended those meetings from the city. There's a tremendous amount of technology required in a landfill. Most people think that it is a place where you go — as a matter of fact they are picking up my trash and recyclables today…. goes on, best to listen to audio. …Maybe 10 years ago we should have gone another direction but the commission at that time followed what the citizens of Preble County wanted to happen.  And one of those citizens sat on this board that has us in this situation today.

Commissioner Wesler – Is that a compliment or a criticism?

Commissioner Stonecash – Take it however you like.

Commissioner Day – speaks but is very hard to hear.

1 hr. 45.2 Minute mark  Commissioner Stonecash – .. equipment has to be maintained and I know you do and by saying stating that what I going at is every once in awhile you have to replace that equipment.  A gentleman stood up and said you could over haul and he was upset because his by another new fire truck. Well as everybody here knows a fire truck may be 45 years old, it has 10,000 miles on it. They last basically forever. We gotta do what we gotta do.

Commissioner Wesler – Asks how many pieces of equipment at landfill…. all very expensive equipment. Mentions reasons against privatization. Offers explanation of why rates were not increased sooner. Nobody expected the 44% that we saw we had a chance and two years ago or last year to increase the cost. The commission before you guys we had a chance there to, nobody wants to raise the rates.  Look, I agree the rates have got to go up, but it should not have been a surprise.  I don't think any of us saw quite this coming, the 44% even though. If we had known it would have been a little bit less a couple years ago we would have made some step increases. This is tough for me to but I guess I got to look at it as the people wanted the landfill for us; the assessment comes to 60 cents a week (residential). Do you guys have any further comments?

1 hr. 48.5 Minute mark  Steve Simmons Landfill Engineer – offers a couple thoughts. Worth listening to.  Claims the math figures out to about a 3% increase per year. Steve does not hold the Commission responsible; "Up through 2008 we were doing pretty good". Blames it on recession.

1 hr. 50.5 Minute mark   Commissioner Wesler – Closes hearing as no one else wanted to speak.

Resolution 579

1 hr. 52 Minute mark   Back ground noise finally stops.

Passes with 3 – 0 vote.

1 hr  52.5 minute mark on cd  

50.26 minutes – 11.5 MB

File 8

Commissioner Wesler – Connie, anything else?

need to go into executive session

Matthew McNeely offers views and talks with Steve Simmons.

1 hr. 52.5 Minute mark   Steve Simmons – What I have noticed is a lot of people don't trust people in suits that give presentations.   In Preble County, they look like lawyers and they look like Bob. LOL A little slow on the pick-up but points for finally picking that up.   But he is a commissioner and they are expected to.

After meeting discussions.

2 hr  6.25 minute mark on cd  

13.48 minutes – 3.163 MB

File 9

Connie – I have an additional item. Note receipt and approve a legal ad for bid specs for the leachate force main project.

Commissioner Wesler – .. there is a mandatory prebid meeting on Thursday, October 20 at 10:00 am at the Engineer's office.

2 hr. 9 Minute mark   MISSY SMITH – MICROFILM QUARTERLY UPDATE

EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE EMPLOYMENT OF A COUNTY EMPLOYEE

ADJOURN

2 hr  14.25 minute mark on cd  

8.06 minutes – 1.85 MB

The audio files will remain up for only a limited amount of time. If they are needed please email.


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