Efficient Landfill Policy Keeps Trash Out

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Last week Monday at the Janesville City Council meeting a citizen approached the podium to address the council after their unanimous vote renewing wastehauler (tipping fees) contracts. The city contract it seems, is based on competitive pricing to encourage more garbage dumping at the landfill, not less, and places taxpayer savings at the core for success.

The resident, who I’ll refer to as citizen JB, gave a fiery speech of disappointment directed not only at the council, but also at the very policy that ultimately will threaten our groundwater supply.

JG letter excerpt:
City Manager Steve Scheiffer says the budget would be short $1.4 million annually without contracts. That's $24 per year to keep garbage out. How much is your groundwater worth? Scheiffer stated he originally vowed their will be no fees for garbage pick-up. Where's his flexibility? -- Citizen JB

Why, how and when did this become policy? Even if we add 50% to the $24 for error, it's still only $36 a year.

JG Excerpt:
Combined, the three contracts guarantee a minimum of 95,000 tons of waste and more than $1.9 million, annually, Whitcomb wrote in a memo to the council. Janesville’s landfill will take in about 210,000 tons of garbage in 2008, Whitcomb said.

Assuming these figures are correct, that would logically translate to nearly doubling the lifespan of the landfill if only without the contracts. And without even considering the risk factors of water contamination, general pollution or accelerated expansion, the city manager and staff think this is worth a savings of $24 a year?

Sometimes I am beside myself over this stuff. The city of Janesville gave away a $2.7 million water tower to a private development when this could have been a special assessment much like sidewalks, and then encourages waste haulers to dump tons of trash in our landfill for what amounts to a nominal savings.

These two publicly held assets, groundwater and landfills, are unlike libraries, swimming pools or other structures that can be replaced. They are highly vulnerable and finite resources. Janesville is very lucky to own and operate their own landfill and water utilities. They must be held and guarded – not auctioned off or used as political fodder for short-term gains.