Landfill updates provided by Waste Management representative

The highly requested update on White County landfill’s progress was given during this month’s county committee meetings, including an issue with the convenience center at the landfill.

There were also updates on the parks and recreation subcommittee and director, an issue with the animal shelter location, and the budget committee nominated their chairman and other roles.

During the solid waste meeting, an update was given on the landfill, a topic that has garnered a lot of attention during the meetings. County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson gave the initial update, and Steven Clark gave more details later.

The project has gone much quicker than anticipated, but Executive Robinson shared that there are problems with the convenience center. Steven Clark, a representative from Waste Management, addressed committee members.

“We’ve been diligently working on the phase one construction, and we have that area is what we called ‘blacked out’ now,” Clark said. “We have that line area completely enclosed. As far as the liner, we’re putting our drainage layer in, which consists of 18.5 acres. That is the original kind of expansion that the county proposed a long time ago, and that is almost completed.”

They expect to move into that 18.5 acres, which is now complete, around Dec. 15. There is no more transferring at the landfill once that is finished. The phase two that was seeking to be approved that evening would add an additional 30 acres to the landfill, which was part of the agreement when this project was undertaken. The solid waste committee approved the part one, phase two construction after receiving the update.

The convenience center located there, however, had issues due to the new construction.

“Now, we’re going to have trucks that’s entering there,” Clark said. “We can’t have folks unloading where we have trucks entering. So, it’ll have to be temporarily closed and relocated.”

Relocating the convenience center is a manner of urgency for Waste Management and Robinson, for the sake of safety for those unloading at the convenience center. An audience member also voiced a concern that the facility will be grinding up tires. Robinson clarified the county will not be doing that.

Steering Committee A had an update on a Parks and Recreation director. Chairman T.K. Austin did not believe the committee will need a subcommittee for parks and recreation if a director is found. For the position, the state has approved the job description, so now the county can open advertising for the position for Nov. 5-19. After that, interviews will commence, with a second round of interviews in early December. Robinson hopes to have a candidate lined up by the December full commission meeting.

For the hiring process, human resources and the state will be the primary parties conducting the interview, although Robinson said it would be within the committee’s right to designate a representative to attend the interviews as well. Whoever is then recommended as a candidate would be presented to the full commission for approval.

There was also a report from Commissioner Roger Mason about the tennis court nets at the high school, which need replacing. Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger agreed to purchase two of the nets if parks and recreation matched with two as well, costing the commission $378. The committee approved a motion to do so.

Steering Committee B addressed the animal shelter, as the solid waste committee’s segment about the landfill convenience center mentioned moving it to the animal shelter property. Commissioner Derek Hutchings asked if they need to look into moving the animal shelter, and Robinson confirmed yes. The committee will schedule a work session to figure out how to move forward with the issue of the shelter.

The budget committee nominated their chairman, vice chairman, and secretary during the meeting. Dakota White was elected by acclamation as chairman, Derek Hutchings was elected by acclamation as vice chair, and Robinson was elected by acclamation as the secretary.

The budget committee then approved a small correction on a school resource officer grant, which stayed in committee. There were then three more amendments sent to the full commission after their approval. The three amendments were computer upgrades for the register’s office, appropriating $146 restricted juvenile drug court administration for wages earned in the prior fiscal year but paid in current fiscal year, and then closing out a Community Development Block Grant project by spending the rest of the grant money on emergency medical service equipment.

Last month, the committee tabled an amendment for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office Grant for EMS extrication equipment. Director Mike Kerr was present to answer the committee’s questions about the grant.

“There’s a list of certain things we can get,” Kerr said. “It’s a $12,500 grant. We can get some backboard, sea collars, things like that. But $12,500 worth of something like that is going to sit, dry rot, get lost. We could get traffic cones, scene lighting, things like that. The third option was get extrication equipment. I talked to Earl [Emerton] from rescue squad, asked him about it. They recommended the extrication equipment.”

After more questions confirming protocol to secure liability using the equipment, the budget committee approved to send the grant to the full commission.

White County Board of Commissioners’ meeting will be 6 p.m., Nov. 17, at the courthouse, and the next committee meetings will be Dec. 1.  All county meetings are open to the public and are also livestreamed on their YouTube page at White County TN Commiss