"I think it's important as we move through this process that every opportunity that we have to tell all elements of the public - engineers, developers, planning commission, builders, average citizens, everybody - that we need to emphasize that this is not something that the utility commission or the city is just sort of pulling out of the air, this is part of a court-mandated, court-ordered document that we have no choice but to comply with," Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner said.
"This is not something that is unique to Winchester," Rompf said. "I believe you're going to see all the communities, including Lexington and other neighbors having to do this."
The commission will consider a revised draft of the policy at its next meeting.
The commission also renewed its annual contract with the Bluegrass Regional Recycling Corporation in Richmond. It is one of two outlets available to WMU.
The annual affiliation fee is split between WMU, the city and county; each pays $1,547. The processing fee is $21.25 per ton.
WMU does not make money from the recycling program. It tracks the costs of managing the recycle area, hauling material, replacing containers and truck charges.
"We do our best to make it a break-even proposition," said WMU general manager Vernon Azevedo. "We rely upon BRRC with their efforts and timing and sale of the recycled material to the various outlets that are available to BRRC. And then, of course, It's a market-driven situation."
Azevedo estimated that 18 to 20 percent of materials are taken out of the landfill because of the recycling program.
"The single most waste stream that has the greatest impact on avoided costs at the landfill is yard waste. It's not paper, it's not aluminum, and it's not glass," Azevedo said.
The commission raised the biosolids haul charge by $10 per truckload. This charge is for hauling solid waste materials to farms to use for fertilizer. Each truckload is about 10 to 11 tons of material.
The three-tier charge is based on mileage from the wastewater treatment plant, and will now cost $20 per load for zero to five miles, $30 per load for five to 10 miles and $40 per load for more than 10 miles. This is the first time the charge has been increased since 1997.
Burtner commended the WMU staff and commissioner Gerry Yeiser for making presentations to educate the public, media, Winchester-Clark County Planning Commission and Chamber of Commerce on water and sewer issues.
The next presentation will be Monday night at 6 p.m. at a joint meeting of the Winchester Board of Commissioners and Clark County Fiscal Court. All members of the WMU commission are encouraged to be present. The meeting is open to the public.
In other business, the commission:
- approved design re-approval of a new 1,550-foot waterline that will serve the Kroger Youth League Soccer Complex on Van Meter Road. The waterline also serves two residential units that existed before the line was installed.
- dedicated the facilities at Earlymeade Estates for ownership. The improvements will serve 72 residential units and include 3,045 feet of waterline, 2,813 feet of sewer line and nine fire hydrants. The asset value of the water improvements is $101,600, and the asset value of the sewer improvements is $264.781. Commissioner Gerry Yeiser abstained from the vote.
The next meeting will be in the WMU Main Office on Main Street at 6 p.m. on June 21.
