Dec. 22—Members of the Dalton-Whitfield County Regional Solid Waste Authority voted Monday, Dec. 18, to approve a plan that would allow the authority to distribute $5 million to local governments.
Under the agreement, the city of Dalton and Whitfield County would each receive $2.5 million from the authority.
"We did that three years ago and we've already built back the surplus," said Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen. "And, of course, built the landfill, basically out of cashflow, the addition this year, the expansion ... it's time for another regular distribution we do every three or four years."
The authority's final 2024 budget was also approved at the public meeting.
The total projection for FY (fiscal year) 2024 revenues and expenditures balance out at $10,049,100.
The estimated FY 2023 actuals are tabbed at $9,901,650.
On the revenue side, about $8.5 million is anticipated in landfill fee income for FY '24. Another $892,000 in interest revenues is anticipated, as well as $300,000 in landfill gas (LFG) income.
Another $200,000 is expected in materials recovery facility (MRF) revenues.
As for expenditures, about $6.4 million in landfill operations costs are expected in FY '24. Another $1.18 million in capital equipment costs are anticipated, as well as $2.23 million in escrow-related expenses.
Authority members also approved a fee schedule for the Old Dixie Highway municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill.
The respective rates are unchanged from 2023. Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, the posted MSW gate rate would remain $44 per ton.
Commercial rates, based on monthly averages, will range from $22.50 per ton for 10 to 50 tons per day to $38 per ton for 151 to 200 tons per day.
The local government rate is set at $27.75 per ton. Construction and demolition carries a $44 per ton rate; unbaled selvedge is listed at $54.85 per ton.
"All rates include the Georgia solid waste surcharge fee of $0.75 per ton, as of July 1, 2008," authority documents note. "Other rates may apply where applicable."
An LFG purchase agreement with Trinseo LLC was included on the authority agenda. However, members did not take any voting actions on the item at the Dec. 18 meeting.
"The price Trinseo shall pay for the authority for the LFG shall (be) tiered rates per each million British Thermal Unit (BTU), or part thereof, as metered at the point of measurement (POM)," authority documents read. "The price was arrived upon using the expected monthly usage by Trinseo and the authority's minimum estimate of operational cost of the gas collection system and delivery pipeline."
Per authority documents, the delivered rate for the first 5,000 metric million British Thermal Units (MMBTUs) per month is $2.50. Any additional MMBTUs would have a delivered rate of $0.25.
"If, in any year, the authority receives any quantifiable benefit as a result of the availability or enactment of tax credits at any time — or the extension of deadlines for the expiration of existing tax credits at any time, based solely on the production and/or supply of LFG — then (the) authority shall retain the quantifiable benefit received of such tax credits and extended tax credits," the agreement reads.
The authority is scheduled to revisit the proposed agreement at its next public meeting.
From there, authority members voted to extend a moratorium on the acceptance of out of county waste.
The current moratorium is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023. The approved extension carries forward to Dec. 31, 2024.
The authority members briefly discussed MRF revenue and expenditures data from November.
Total revenues were tabbed at $109,411.55 while total expenses came in at $109,857.86 — representing a net loss of $446.31.
Per authority documents, MRF services saved 439.95 cubic yards of airspace and produced $12,098.68 in avoided disposal fees.
Throughout 2023, MRF financials have fluctuated. The financials hit a peak of $35,448.20 in net profit in June — with a year low of $26,735.96 in net loss posted one month later.
The November 2023 figures for overall school recycling came in at 53,650 total pounds of material — a rate that shakes out to about 2.6 pounds per student.
Learning Tree Elementary School, with 1,140 pounds, had the highest per capita rate of 13.9 pounds collected per student. New Hope Elementary School, which collected 5,620 pounds, came in second with a per capita rate of 11.6 pounds per student.
In other metrics, authority documents indicate about 53 tons of recyclables were collected within the municipality of Dalton last month.
"It is an 18.7% decrease compared to November 2022 when 65.5 tons were collected," authority documents indicate. "848.3 tons of garbage was disposed of in November 2023 by the city of Dalton."
The waste diversion rate for last month stands at a little under 6%.
"The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority has credited the city of Dalton Public Works Department $1,597.80 for the revenue sharing of recyclables received in November 2023," the documents indicate.
The meeting concluded with a quick update on the phase 6/cell 6 landfill expansion project.
A letter was recently sent to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) indicating that "substantial completion" of the project has been achieved.
Authority members indicated the EPD is expected to give a final approval to the project within two weeks to a month.
