Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Indiana fell short of its recycling goals of reducing landfill waste by 50 percent by Jan. 1.
Overall, said Marsha Eikenberry, director of the Kosciusko County Solid Waste District, the state reduced waste by 24 percent. She didn't have figures for Kosciusko County, though she said residents of Warsaw are recycling at a 10- to 12 percent rate.
Eikenberry addressed the KCSWD board Wednesday during its monthly meeting.
Board chairman Dr. Joe Thallemer said the district's goals would have to be rewritten.
Rolly Ortega, representing the Winona Lake town council, was welcomed. He replaces councilman David Delp.
Resolutions to begin the purchase of a Union Street building for the district were not prepared by attorney Mike Armey.
Armey said no work was done on the roof as expected.
The property, at 214 and 220 S. Union St., will be used for drive-through recycling, hazardous household waste collection and education space.
A block building sits on the "front" of the property with a Quonset hut at the "back."
The board has entered into a purchase agreement, in the amount of $200,000, to buy the property from Jerry Lee Buchan.
Funds for the property will come from the per ton landfill fees the district collects from Allied Waste. The district received $9,770 in tonnage fees in January.
Eikenberry said Dale Custer of Superior Excavating is in receipt of the windrow turner. The machine "turns" piles of organic material, such as yard waste and industrial wood scraps, for composting.
The district has entered into a a lease agreement with Custer for the next three years. The machine, which will process mounds 16-feet wide and 6-feet high, cost $212,000. An Indiana Department of Natural Resources grant of $98,000 went toward part of the purchase and Custer paid the rest. Custer will own the equipment at the end of three years.
The county composting site is next to the county highway garage on old U.S. 30.
Eikenberry said she has discussed the composting project with several municipalities. Custer would take the windrow turning machine to various towns where yard waste has been collected.
"We have no say-so in how the municipalities will administer this," she said. "The benefit is composting yard waste that shouldn't go to a landfill. What they do now doesn't cost anything."
Eikenberry said a composting consultant would attend the April meeting.
In other business the board:
• Was asked by Thallemer to develop a mission statement.
• Heard from district educator Sue Studebaker regarding the April 28 Indiana Youth Environmental Summit to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Whitko Middle School.
• Also heard from Studebaker about an electronics collection April 7 at the Union Street facilities.
Citizens may bring VCRs, computer hardware (no more than two monitors), stereo components and other items for $5 a carload.
Components are completely stripped for metals and other parts at a Chicago recycling station.
• Heard from Tara Still, the citizen advisory committee chairman, about Earth Day activities on April 21. She said plans are to have information at each of the consumer sort stations throughout the county.
The KCSWD board members are: Thallemer, Avis Gunter, Brad Jackson, Ron Truex, Maurice Beer, Rolly Ortega and Warsaw Mayor Ernest Wiggins. Jackson, Truex and Wiggins were absent Wednesday.
