Waste Comm. braces for rate hike from Webster County

The Hamilton County Solid Waste Commission on Wednesday night heard about a possible rate hike at the Webster County Landfill, where waste is ultimately deposited after being hauled to the Hamilton County Transfer Station near Kamrar.

Webster County is considering raising its gate fees from $5 per cubic yard of waste to $8.50 per cubic yard. If the Webster County Solid Waste Commission approves the rate increase, that could have a dramatic impact on residents of Hamilton County.

The Webster County Solid Waste Commission will vote on the matter Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Regional Recycling Center at 2150 South 22nd Street on the south side of Fort Dodge. The meeting is open to the public. If approved, the rate increase would take effect Jan. 1, 2009.

Runoff concern

In other news, local farmer Wayne Blue attended Wednesday's meeting to voice his concerns about surface water run-off from the landfill onto his property north of the landfill.

Blue reported that water from the landfill has created gullies on his property and has eroded away some of the soil. The Commission agreed to investigate the problem and see if there was a way they could divert the water away from Blue's property and towards the borrow pit immediately west of the landfill which is managed by the Commission.

The Commission approved $2,400 to pay for slopped cement pads to be installed at the front and back of the transfer station office to make the building wheelchair accessible. The commission also approved $500 to pay for four large posts to be erected on the east side of the office to prevent against trucks driving into the office.

The Commission is in the process of applying for a $100,000 grant from the DNR to go towards establishing a regional household hazardous waste collection center. The center would consist of two buildings, one for collecting and sorting hazardous waste and the other for storing it temporarily before it can be moved. The storage building would be leak-proof and explosion-proof. Commission Chairman Troy Hassebrock and Engineer Curt Martin will bring a site development plan to the next meeting, laying out where they would like the buildings to be.

Contact Andy Hallman at reporter@freemanjournal.net