PUBLIC WORKS SUPERVISOR TJ GRAVELEY EXPLAINS SOLID WASTE FEE CHANGES
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
PUBLIC WORKS SUPERVISOR TJ GRAVELEY EXPLAINS SOLID WASTE FEE CHANGES
Nancy Marks
Reporter
There is a chance your neighbor is paying no county garbage fee while you pay for all solid waste services in Broadwater County. Public Works Supervisor TJ Graveley explained at the July 5 County Commissioners meeting. There are 3,240 address points (houses, barns, shops with apartments) in Broadwater County but 642 of those addresses are not even on the assessment roles. “The county is missing around $600,000 in solid waste fees because these points are not on the roles. I’m hoping the Montana Department of Revenue can bring the roles up to date,” he said.
In an update to the Commissioners, Graveley said he had heard rumors that he was raising solid waste fees. “That is not true,” he said, “The annual fee for household garbage will stay at $185 per year.” Fees that will change are as follows: Non-household waste: $65 a ton: items such as refrigerators: $35 each; passenger tires:$3; Semi tires: $10 each and heavy equipment tires: $25 each. Agricultural waste such as wire, fencing materials, and oil filters may be deposited in the metal container at Cedar Street Dump or at the Transfer Station. The county allows each household 30,000#s annually of biodegradable materials such as newspapers, food waste, and clothing. The Transfer Station on Indian Creek Road takes large loads of grass and trees. Small loads may go to the Cedar Street site. When the new weigh station is installed, every load taken to the Transfer Station will be weighed and priced accordingly.
Graveley said his department’s biggest problem site is the Winston Site. “It’s a disaster. We get much more waste there than anywhere else. I suspect we are seeing dumping by Lewis and Clark and Gallatin County people. My crew takes two loads a day to the Helena landfill from Winston. My crews spend up to 10 hours a week just cleaning up around the area,” he explained.
CHANGES PLANNED FOR WINSTON DUMPSITE
He is making plans to change the hours of operation and availability to the Winston Site. The hours will be 9 am-3 pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. He warned people caught dumping illegally may face fines of up to $500. “My overall plan is to begin enforcing the policies that are already on the books.
The Solid Waste Department will hold a public meeting to answer residents’ questions. Time and place of the meeting is pending.
AIRPORT BOARD NEWS
The Commissioners approved the airport board’s recommendation to appoint Seth Wolfgram to a three-year term. After changes to the City-County lease agreement from the Townsend City Council on July 11, the Commissioners approved the new City-County Municipal Airport Lease which will include a very small increase per square foot of hangar space annually for up to twenty years. The average hangar space is 2,400 square feet. Three hangars presently include living spaces. Under the new lease, no living space is allowed, except for those three. The hangar leases include the use of runways and airport buildings.
