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Lincoln County considers changes to commercial recycling contract

IVANHOE — Lincoln County is working on negotiating some savings on its commercial recycling program, according to its environmental administrator.

The county could be seeing a savings of $39 per month for commercial recycling over the original proposed fee of $85 per month per recycling container, which was the original fee for a 3 yard dumpster pickup.

The county would also be saving on a second container that would run 60 percent of the $46.09 rate for the first.

Environmental Administrator Robert Olsen presented the county commissioners with a recommendation for a new recycling fee proposal at their board meeting Tuesday.

Olsen said if the businesses share the cost of the annual fee, the monthly rates could come down. The business assessment would be $276.54 annually ($23.05 per month), he said, which is 50 percent of the container fee of $553 per year, plus the monthly service fee.

“The program would sustain itself,” Olsen said. “The reduction of prices made a substantial change in the whole picture.”

If the county followed this recommendation, the businesses would not be subject to $5 service fees, fuel surcharges and environmental fees that the service provider was expected to add to their bills. Olsen estimated businesses would pay $120 per month with all these fees added on. They would not incur those fees if the county invoiced the businesses and not Waste Management.

The commissioners were told they did not have to act on the proposal Tuesday, because Olsen wanted to send out letters to businesses to let them know the county’s intent and allow them to give input. The commissioners approved sending out the letter.

Olsen also recommended the county consider charging non-residents 50 percent more than Lincoln County residents for individual garbage drop-off. For example: 2018 Lincoln County Solid Waste assessment is $55 and the non-resident rate would be $82.50 per year.

“We currently have 55 non-residents using the program,” he said. “Most are from around the South Dakota side of Lake Hendricks.”

Additionally, Olsen was scheduled to meet with Waste Management on Thursday regarding the proposal.

Olsen followed the recycling and garbage disposal proposals with introducing Hendricks’ mayor, Julie Hogie, and administrator, David Blees, who appeared before the board to discuss the county’s recycling location in Hendricks.

“We like the program, but nobody likes the site by their house,” Blees said. “Kudos to Robert for starting the program.”

“Who should be using it?” Blees asked. “Can we do a route driver around by the lake? I do know they go out there.”

A location outside of city limits would be ideal, Blees said. He suggested sending out a notice to rural landowners requesting a little strip of land to be dedicated to a recycling site.

“It would only take one,” he said. “Or, maybe have it dumped more often. The tough question is when you have an open site, there’s no regulation of it.”

“I don’t think we should buy more land if we have county property to put it on,” Commissioner Mic VanDeVere said.

Olsen said there was a county site on CR 17, out where it could be seen and reported if someone was dumping something that didn’t belong there. Residents can use the recycling drop off, but not businesses.

“One of the most maddening things about the site is when dumpsters are filled with bagged leaves and sticks,” Olsen said. Some have tons of boxed from businesses that don’t have any place behind their buildings to dispose of them. Other times recyclable items get put into the wrong bin.

“(People) need to be educated,” Olsen said.

Cameras on the site were also suggested. The county could also put up a stop sign to get more people to read the sign that says, “For rural residents only.”

“It’s a great program,” Blees said. “I love it, I use it, but it’s getting out of control.”

“What about fencing it in?” Board Chair Rick Hamer asked. “The lumberyard (employees) could lock it up at night.”

“We have to apply to put up a fence. I have picked up an application,” Olsen said. “The problems are the street easement and we have no room to increase capacity.”

“I would not be in favor of putting up a fence on private property,” VanDeVere said.

“One of the options David brought up is to have it dumped more often,” Hogie said. “We’re certainly willing to work with the county on this. We have driven around town to find a better location (than by the lumberyard), but nothing is ideal.”

“I’m thinking that if we adjusted the service to accommodate (more frequent pickups), it should be OK,” Olsen said. “We would have to assess the customers more.

“I’m here to serve the people of Lincoln County and the city of Hendricks,” Olsen said. “In a few days, I’ll have the answer about frequency of pickup.”

Olsen also announced a Buffer Ordinance Hearing at the Planning and Zoning hearing Wednesday night and included a copy of the draft with his report.

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