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Commission discusses recycling center budget
The Vernon County Recycling Center expects to bring in about $17,000 from sales of recyclable materials during 2013, which will cover about half of the $36,360 David Irwin told the Vernon County Commission last week that he estimates it will cost to operate the center.
Additional funding for the recycling center comes from grants from the Region M Solid Waste District.
Irwin, who is in charge of the operation of the recycling center, said the facility is open three days each week, Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, noon to 6 p.m. and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is also open the third Saturday each month from 9 a.m. to noon.
And he said on the third Saturday they also go to other towns in Vernon County.
"We have a trailer that goes to Schell City, Bronaugh and Walker and spends two hours in each town," he said.
"That's the only time we go out of town," he said.
Irwin said that going to surrounding towns started as a pilot program to get other communities interested in recycling. The people want us to keep it going, but the cost keeps increasing.
"The communities that are interested in it can apply for grants for their own recycling trailers," Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord said.
McCord said that she has been writing grants for funding from the Region M Solid Waste District for years and will be willing to help someone who wants to apply for a grant.
Irwin told the commission the most pressing need is to move some of the walls on the building to make room to put a new bailer out of the weather. He said the road and bridge crews will do the work and it will cost about $500 for materials.
Other items that will need to be addressed this year include tires for the skid steer at a cost of $1,087.64 for eight tires and repairs on the bed of their 1-ton truck for $2,500.
McCord told Irwin that as money comes they will try to address the needs.
Irwin said that there should be some money coming in from a load of recyclables this month.
Vernon County Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster suggested that they should run the skid steer until one of the tires goes flat and then replace all of them.
Irwin said the recycling center is primarily staffed by three part-time employees. Irwin said that he spends about 10 hours each pay period at the recycling center, which gives him time to keep up with paper work and scheduling pick-up of recyclables. He said that he is also there on the Saturdays they are open.
Irwin said that they have people calling the center all the time wanting dumpsters for recyclables. He said that he had looked at purchasing some used dumpsters, but they would cost too much and require too much time and work to make them usable.
"El Dorado Springs is bringing their recyclables over here. That's money for us and they bring it over," McCord said.