La Cygne clerk questions county on status of trash compactor contracts

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – On Monday, Sept. 23, La Cygne City Clerk Jodi Wade asked if it was possible for the Linn County commissioners to meet with the cities for some clarification on the solid waste compactor agreements that had been to sent to all of the cities and lake developments. 

Wade told the commissioners that the last the city had heard about the compactor site was a nearly a year ago. At that time city officials met with the commissioners and were asked if they had any questions or comments about the compactor sites.

And now, we’ve received this agreement to sign after having a phone call with the county public works, economic development, and the county attorney, said Wade. 

“We would like to hear from the county before we continue this discussion on with the council,” said Wade.

She said that there were several concerns. They included:

• That the city would be responsible for the state licensing and there was no information included in the communication about what was involved with that. 

• That the agreement said that by signing the agreement it ends all agreements, contracts, and leases. She questioned whether that meant that the current lease that the county provides payment to the city for property where the site is now.

• Who was to be liable for maintaining the insurance for the site.

• Where it says that the site will be open to the public during their operating hours. She questioned whether that was just to Linn County residents or out-of-county residents. 

• If the site was moved to a different location would the city be responsible for maneuvering that. She pointed out that in the agreement it said that it is up to the city to be responsible for the constructing and maintaining of the site.

• Another concern she raised was about the city’s responsibility if in the future, city residents opt to have a service pick up their trash rather than using the compactor. 

She said that because some residents do not have transportation to the compactor site or some prefer curbside pickup, more of their residents are using curbside pickup. She pointed out that in the future if, for example, there are 400 residences and 300 of them used curbside pickup, would the city be able to change or get out of the agreement.

Linn County Public Works Director Shaun West told the commissioners that he had received a signed agreement from the city of Parker but that the city of Pleasanton wanted him to come answer some of the same questions that Wade had brought up.

Commission Chair Danny McCullough said that West shouldn’t have to go to every city. 

“I think we bring everybody in for a mayor’s meeting or something and we figure it out from there,” McCullough said.

Commissioner Jason Hightower agreed.

McCullough told Wade that he had gotten a little frustrated with this because it has been over a year since the last mayors’ meeting. Before everyone had left that meeting, he had asked everyone to give their comments and concerns to public works or economic development and no one had turned anything in.

The minutes of a meeting between city and county officials May 22,  2023, indicated that the commission met with representatives of the cities and lake developments to discuss the compactor sites. 

Former County Counselor Gary Thompson told those gathered that the county had old contracts with the cities and they needed to be updated. Thompson stressed that there was no plans to discontinue compactor programs. 

At that meeting West also spoke about the need to update the contracts. City officials and lake developments representatives discussed issues with the commission that they would like to address in the new contracts. McCullough asked the representatives to send a list of their ideas, operating procedures to former Economic Development Director Jessica Hightower.

On Monday, after discussing the contracts which were sent out to all of the cities and homeowner associations, the commissioners decided to invite city officials to a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, following the regular commission meeting.