JACKSON'S BOARD OF ALDERMEN PICK ALLIED WASTE TO OPERATE CITY LANDFILL

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a contract negotiated with Allied Waste Industries Inc., for the future operation of the city landfill.

Federally imposed regulations which take effect April 8, outlines strict requirements for the permitting and operation of a landfill. The requirements made it financially impossible for the city to continue to operate the city's landfill.

"The board of aldermen explored every alternative to closing the landfill and made every effort to continue to operate the landfill without private assistance," said Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. "This agreement will provide the city with a cost effective means of waste disposal for a period of 20 years."

Presently, the city provides waste pick-up and disposal services to Jackson residents at no cost. If the city were forced to close the landfill, it was estimated that the cost to residents would be $15 to $20 per month for trash pickup. In addition, the city would be forced to pay in excess of $1 million to close the landfill.

The contract with Allied Waste will not affect the city's schedule of residential collection services, and will permit the city to provide a cost-free waste pickup and disposal service to its residents for some years, Sander said.

Because of the new federal requirements, the board and city staff had little time to finalize an agreement for the landfill.

"Hard decisions had to be made before the April 8 deadline," said Sander. "This required some degree of silence on the part of the city, since it would not have been possible to negotiate in public."

In the past few weeks, the mayor and board of aldermen received some criticism from individuals owning property of living near the existing landfill and along County Road 341. But Sander said it was the city's position that because it had an existing landfill with a minimum of 85 acres of unused space, there was an obligation to make every effort to serve the city's residents.

"If the landfill had not existed, neither myself or any member of the board would have been interested in trying to build or permit a new landfill," said Sander. "But since there has been considerable tax dollars expended in the development and operation of the existing landfill, and to close the landfill having utilized only 15 percent of its capacity, closing the landfill would be a gross waste of past city assets and could be considered unresponsive and financially irresponsible leadership."