SNOW HILL – The elimination of unmanned recycling centers and a new charge on county tax bills were among the suggestions made this week by public works employees as Worcester County struggles to get solid waste costs under control.
A report from Worcester County Public Works Director John Tustin outlined a variety of recommendations designed to reduce the county’s solid waste costs. Recommendations ranged from closing the Snow Hill Homeowner Convenience Center to adding an annual $30 charge to county tax bills. Though no decisions were made at this week’s meeting of the Worcester County Commissioners, the elected officials praised Tustin’s presentation.
“This is what I’ve been asking for,” Commissioner Merrill Lockfaw said. “I’m glad to see some options on the table.”
Tustin explained that though the county’s landfill was self-supporting, its’ recycling operations and homeowner convenience centers — better known as dumps — were not.
“The core operation is not why we have a deficit,” Tustin said.
Recycling, which is mandated by the state, results in a loss of $690,000 a year to Worcester County.
Homeowner convenience centers, which exist in Berlin, Snow Hill, Pocomoke and at the central landfill, leave the county with an annual loss of $500,000. Tustin said there were roughly 3,800 households with permits to use the dumps but that the program’s revenues did not cover its expenses.
“When times were good, the overall operation could carry those [recycling and convenience centers,]” said finance officer Jennifer Swanton.
Swanton said that because those two areas of the solid waste operation continued to lose money, the department wasn’t able to save money to go toward the construction of new landfill cells. When the last cell was built, instead of paying the entire $10 million cost, the county had to bond part of it.
“If we continue to do what we’re doing, we’re going to put ourselves in debt for the next one in full,” she said.
The losses in the areas of recycling and homeowner convenience centers come in spite of reduced hours at the centers — they’re closed Wednesdays and only open a half-day on Sundays — as well as a reduction in employees during the past seven years. Because of that, Tustin said the Worcester County Solid Waste Advisory Board recommended additional changes. The board suggested closing the Snow Hill Homeowner Convenience Center.
“It’s in close proximity to the central landfill,” Tustin explained.
The board also recommended another reduction in hours at the Berlin and Pocomoke centers.
To tackle recycling costs, the board suggested removing the unmanned recycling centers in Whaleyville, Bishopville, Ocean Pines, West Ocean City and Public Landing.
The advisory board also put forth the idea of adding a recycling/homeowner convenience center benefit charge to all property tax accounts. Currently, homeowners pay a $100 annual permit fee to take their trash and recycling to the homeowner convenience centers. Tustin said a $30 charge on tax bills would generate revenue and give more people the chance to use the facilities.
“That’s another option we’ve been batting around in house,” he said.
While the board’s recommendations are ones expected to help in the short-term, Tustin said future considerations included the possible privatization of the solid waste operation, outsourcing or working toward the regionalization of solid waste. While there are concerns associated with each of those possibilities, Tustin said they were worth looking into to address the operation’s perpetual deficit.
“We’re looking at a broad range of things,” he said.
Tustin suggested officials consider hiring a consultant if they were interested in making any major changes.
Commissioner Jim Bunting said the presentation raised the issue of whether the county’s solid waste operation should be making money. He said it could be looked at as a service, one that was bound to lose money.
“I see it as a service that we’re providing for citizens,” he said. “Do we accept the fact it’s always going to not generate revenue?”
Sonny Bloxom, the county attorney, asked whether staff had spoken with representatives from Maryland Environmental Services (MES). The company recently took over Harford County’s solid waste operations.
“I like the idea of at least having a conversation with MES,” Commissioner Chip Bertino said.
The commissioners agreed that Tustin and his team should contact MES and continue researching ways to improve the county’s solid waste operation.