FLOYD COUNTY — The Floyd County Council tabled a vote for an ordinance to end the Recycle Floyd County program, but officials are discussing the possibility of outsourcing the service.
The council has not yet made a decision on whether to join the commissioners in favor of ending the county’s solid waste district, but a discussion took place at Tuesday’s joint meeting with the commissioners.
The ordinance was on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, but due to time constraints, the vote was postponed until the council’s July 9 meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m. in Pine View Government Center.
Last week, the Floyd County Commissioners voted in favor of dissolving the recycling program, citing financial uncertainty because of a new tax reform law.
The solid waste district handles recycling, yard waste and household hazardous waste. It operates two drop-off sites: one at the North Annex at 3005 Grant Line Road in New Albany and the other at the Galena Digital Library at 6954 U.S. 150 in Floyds Knobs.
Al Knable, president of the Floyd County Commissioners, said the county received an estimate from a private entity for potentially outsourcing the services offered at the existing sites for limited days. This would cost roughly $135,000 to $180,000 annually, which would lower costs for the county.
It would cost more for electronics, and it would not include household hazardous waste, according to Knable. The county has contacted other entities to inquire about possibilities for hazardous waste, he said.
Knable said these discussions are preliminary at this time, and he did not publicly specify the provider.
There will be plenty of time for further discussion on the options for recycling in Floyd County, he said.
“If and when there’s a second vote for dissolution, it allows for 180 days of further discussion before a final vote is given, so that’s six months of public input...,” Knable said.
About 10 people signed up for public comments on the proposed dissolution of the district. However, the recycling matter was the last on the agenda for the 4 p.m. meeting, and the discussion and public comments were cut short.
By the time the topic was brought up, the meeting was almost over, and the council ended discussions on the district to allow for a scheduled public hearing to take place at 5 p.m. on a separate matter.
Floyd County Councilwoman Denise Konkle said she would have preferred to see the council take a recess and reconvene after the 5 p.m. public hearing to talk further about the recycling issue and allow residents to voice their opinions.
“So many people showed up to speak about that and then did not have the opportunity to do that,” she said. “I don’t think that was right.”
Floyd County resident Daniel Harris said he would like to see the recyling program continue, saying unmanned drop-off stations could be one option rather than shutting the program down.
He wants the county to settle on an alternative before making a decision on ending the district.
“I do support the current staff and the way things are being done now, but if there has to be an alternative, I would like to see it,” he said.
Laura Riggle, an operator and educator at Recycle Floyd County, voiced her support for keeping the program going. She said both the younger and older generations participate.
“We have young and old that do this and appreciate it,” she said. “They will be crushed if we do away with it altogether. ...”
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