Minute with the Mayor

Question: 

What is the impact of the sale of White County selling the landfill to Waste Management going to be to the City of Sparta residents?

Answer:

In short, we really do not know.  The sale of the landfill was done strictly by the leadership of White County.  The city trash has been excluded from the contract that was finalized.  I personally saw the draft version of the contract about two weeks ago after the deal was complete.  We, the city, have yet to see a final version of the contract.

Listed below are the actual terms stated in the contract.  (Or at least the draft version that I was shown).

(c) The term “County Waste” shall mean all Waste generated within White County and outside the corporate limits of any city, town, municipality, district, or other local government’s jurisdictional limits within the County. County Waste includes Waste generated by all residences, County offices and locations. For purposes of clarity, any Waste generated within the County and within the corporate limits of any local government’s jurisdiction (e.g., City of Sparta, etc.) is not considered County Waste. County Waste shall also include Waste generated by the County at its governmental offices, departments, boards, schools, agencies or Waste placed in the Convenience Center.

The city met with Waste Management two weeks ago for a short meeting.  Nothing really came from the meeting except more questions that need to be answered.  Waste Management has made the City of Sparta a vendor. This means that we are a customer and must pay for the landfill services. 

The questions that demand an answer are many.  What are the costs that will be charged?  What kind of trash will we be allowed to take to the landfill?  Will the city still be able to pick up brush and take it to the landfill, and what is that cost? It looks as though the city brush pickup was never discussed in the negotiations.  I do know that the City of Sparta has requested to be a part of the process for the past eight months, and we still have not had one single meeting with the county and Waste Management. 

I also know that we have set a meeting this week with Waste Management, and we will be able to sort things out.  As of right now, we, the city of Sparta, are doing what we can to continue services to our community.  We will know more this week, hopefully. 

Be safe out there. Finish strong.