REGIONAL WASTE DISTRICT DEALS WITH VOTING DISPUTE

As with most discussion of solid waste issues, the formation of a regional solid waste district in this area hasn't been without snags.

Although established little more than a month ago, a mild controversy already has arisen among the cities and counties in the Region R Solid Waste District over voting representation.

Cape Girardeau City Councilman Al Spradling III, who's representing the city in the district, said that two of the district's seven counties St. Francois and Iron already have threatened to pull out over the voting flap.

Other counties in the district are Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry, Madison and Ste. Genevieve.

Spradling said the bylaws adopted by the group allow one vote per every 500 people in a given community, which gives Cape Girardeau city and county the most votes in the district.

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep, chairman of the district, said the district was to be organized under state legislation that would have given each municipality with a population of 500 or more a single vote and each county in the district two votes.

"We at Cape County government were very uncomfortable with that situation," he said. "Cape County would have had two votes, Cape city one vote and Jackson one vote.

"But St. Francois County has 11 cities with 500 or more people, and with the county commission they would have had 13 votes going in there."

Huckstep said the county successfully "lobbied very heavily" to instead organize the district under Chapter 70 of the Missouri Constitution.

Under the bylaws, the city of Cape Girardeau, with a population of about 35,000, will have 69 votes on any issue; Jackson will have 18 votes; and the county will have a total of 87 votes.

"At the same time, the higher population areas also will be responsible for higher costs associated with this plan," Huckstep added.

He said many other districts across the state also have organized under Chapter 70.

Huckstep said counties are allowed to withdraw from a regional district, but then must be responsible for coming up with a waste management plan without DNR funding.

"The county has to be the sponsoring agency for the district," he said. "A county can pull out but will not receive one dime of funds from that day forward. It's really a carrot on a stick held by the DNR."

Huckstep called the voting flap a "real can of worms," but said the district now must concentrate on drafting a solid waste management plan by next year.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has given the district $90,000 over two years to finish the plan, but Huckstep said that amount probably is insufficient.

With the adoption of Senate Bill 530 in 1990, the Missouri legislature imposed a per-ton tipping surcharge on all landfills to help fund the district plans.

Huckstep said $45,000 per year is the most Region R will receive for the plan, although the tipping fees have generated $233,000 in the district.

"That's about right. (For) every $1 you send them you get about a quarter back," he added.

So what happens to the surplus from the tipping surcharge?

"I imagine it will be used administratively at DNR," Huckstep said. "But we're looking at a mandate, and our back's to the wall. I'd love to have a battle over this, but it's not one I perceive we could win."

The district is expected to begin interviews soon with various consulting firms that could design the solid waste management plan.

According to Missouri's solid waste law, the plan which will have to be updated twice annually must address specific issues such as management of various recyclable materials, establishment of a collection system for recyclables and yard waste, and implementation of a public education program on solid waste.