BYLAWS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AREA SOLID-WASTE DISTRICT JULY 22

JACKSON - A meeting has been scheduled for July 22 to consider approval of bylaws for the formation of a solid waste district in a seven-county area.

The meeting, being organized by the Cape Girardeau County Commission and the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, is in response to a new law passed two years ago to improve methods for disposing of solid waste in Missouri.

In particular, the law is aimed at reducing reliance on landfills by city and county governments.

"It is strictly an organizational meeting, and we agreed to take the lead in getting this started because it has to be done under the umbrella of a county," explained Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep. "We are the sponsoring county, but that is only to get the district organized."

The district will consist of seven counties, including 19 cities with populations of more than 500 people. Counties in the district are Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry, Madison, Iron, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

On June 23, the County Commission was advised that the Department of Natural Resources had approved application to form a district. There now are 30 days to get organized.

A $45,000 operating grant was sent by DNR to Cape County for the district and another grant for the same amount will likely be available in a few months.

Huckstep said he will hold the check until the district is organized.

Huckstep also said he doubts whether the two grants will provide enough money to cover the costs of having the district and drafting the waste management plan.

It is possible that the regional planning commission will be hired to develop a plan. Huckstep said that decision could be made at the meeting.

Under proposed bylaws that were mailed Thursday to cities and counties in the district, the board will have the authority to hire an executive director.

Huckstep said he wants the final bylaws to have some kind of a provision to take into account population in determining the number of representatives on the board.

Both cities and counties will be represented.

"We only created this out of self-defense," said Huckstep. "We are the only area of the state that had not moved on this. Time was running out so we decided to take the lead and act on this."

This area of the state is known as Region R.

The July 22 meeting will be held in Fredericktown at 1:30 p.m.