Robbinsville – After voting last month to explore a reduction in the number of available trash sites across Graham County, the board of commissioners heard a proposal from sanitation director Gavin Colvard at Tuesday’s pre-meeting workshop.
“Gas has gone up, tires have went up, fuel has went up,” Colvard pointed out. “Someone’s going to have to pay for all this.”
The plan outlines several changes to the current structure for residents and visitors alike who want to dispose of their garbage. Currently, there are nine sites open at various locations across the county; none are manned and there is no cost to drop off trash.
Crews run a plotted course that ultimately culminates in a trip (sometimes two) to a landfill in Ball Ground, Ga. The Monday trek goes from the main site (Snowbird Road) to Johnson Gap (Hwy. 28 North); Bear Creek (with a dump-off if full thereafter); Gladdens Creek; Buffalo; and then a return to Snowbird. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the loop includes visits to Fontana and Meadow Branch.
Under the proposal, the county would shift to the following set-up:
* Three supervised sites, which would be located at 400 Snowbird Road (the sanitation department), the Buffalo community and Johnson Gap (N.C. Hwy. 28 North);
* Tipping scales at each of the three sites, which would bring an additional $450 daily/$2,700 weekly/$140,400 yearly in revenue to the county;
* A front-load garbage truck, for recycling to stay clean and dry;
* Two front-load garbage trucks to pick up cans from businesses;
* A roll-off trailer for cardboard, with estimated savings of $5,000 per year for landfill and additional revenue of $15,600 per year.
Speaking of cardboard, Colvard’s proposal notes that American Recycling will offer a discount for the material: $100 per load, instead of $54.
All nine, currently-unsupervised sites has fencing that needs to be repaired. The new plan – with just three supervised sites – would ensure that if someone backed into the fence and damaged it, the person operating the vehicle is liable to pay – and not county taxpayers: an estimated savings of $72,000.
The estimated budget of the proposed plan would be $689,945.45. The current budget for the department is $1,449,920, including two new Kenworth trucks that were afforded via a pair of grants.
The calculated savings of the proposal would be around $317,974.55 – or more, depending on annual revenue. If the per-ton fee is increased to $80 like in surrounding counties, Graham County will gain an extra $145,680, making the total savings $463,654.55.