Fourteen towns have approved a resolution to raise the tax levy for the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District, the board of directors heard Tuesday.

Director Sue Studebaker, educator Eric Sanson and board president Brad Jackson attended council meetings requesting the approval during the last few weeks, Studebaker reported. As of Tuesday afternoon, Winona Lake, Syracuse, North Webster town councils and the county council had yet to hear the proposal.

A letter by Studebaker to Tom Weeldeen, Allied Waste's CEO based in Arizona, was answered. The board negotiated for increased tipping fees with the company, which owns the Packerton Landfill. All inquires were met with resistance.

The district receives an income from the landfill on a per-ton basis. Studebaker met with two Allied Waste employees, Terry Zona, regional manager, and Tony Schroeder, landfill manager, Monday. While the company won't be changing its partnership agreement with the district regarding tipping fees, Studebaker said, the company will support needed projects.

The company will pay for a KCSWD logo on the district's truck, pay the balance of funds for a sign outside the depot a state grant doesn't cover, and pay for Studebaker's fees and hotel expenses when she attends the Indiana Recycling Conference.

In its present state, the Packerton Landfill has only two to three years of airspace left. The height of a landfill is regulated, it can only go so high and so deep.

Allied Waste has begun the permitting process to expand to the north, to CR 700S, at the state level. A public hearing may occur as early as this fall regarding the expansion.

At that time, Allied Waste might be interested in an amendment to the partnership agreement about changing tipping fees, Studebaker said.

The board reluctantly accepted the resignation of Sanson, effective April 30. He plans to return to college as a full-time student.

The district will collect expired pharmaceutical drugs in May. A brochure outlining dates, places and times of collection were distributed.

A federally certified hazardous waste disposal company will incinerate the drugs. Controlled substances will be collected by a sheriff's deputy and kept secure until the HHW company picks the items up.

The collection includes all expired medicines, all unused medicines, medicines that should have been refrigerated and weren't, unsealed syrups or eye drops, unsealed tubes of creams and ointments and medical sharps.

Times are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted: May 12 at the Silver Lake Senior Center; May 13 at the Pierceton Senior Center, Pete Thorn Center and Grace Village, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; May 14 at the Winona Lake Senior Center and North Webster Senior Center; May 15 Colfax Place, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Retired Tigers 12 to 1 p.m. and Milford Senior Center; May 15 at Syracuse Senior Center and Mentone Senior Center; and May 17 at the KC Recycling Depot.

District board of directors are Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter, Ron Truex, John Kinsey, Ernie Wiggins, George Clemens and David Delp. [[In-content Ad]]