Office of the County Executive
Press Release
Released: February 5, 2001
On February 12, the County Executives for
Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties will announce a bold proposal to
form a regional recycling partnership among the three Counties. The proposal
would consolidate each County=s
recycled container processing operations into one operated by Winnebago
County and Outagamie and Winnebago Counties=
recycled paper processing into one operated by Outagamie County. Brown
County would continue to haul their paper to Georgia Pacific Paper Co.=s
West Mill (former Fort James) and discontinue operation of its processing
facility.
ARegional
cooperation in handling our three County=s
recyclables will benefit all of our citizens by saving processing costs,@
states Outagamie County Executive Paltzer. Current independent operation of
the three container and two paper processing lines by the Counties, cost
users of the three County Solid Waste Systems approximately $800,000
annually. AEconomies
of scale are realized by consolidation of the processing facilities,@
reported Brown County Executive Nancy Nusbaum. If the proposal is approved,
even with transfer and transportation costs added, the partnership could
reduce the cost to under $100,000 annually or by approximately 90%.
The ATri-County
Recycling Intergovernmental Agreement@
will be submitted to the Solid Waste Boards and Committees and County Boards
of each County during February and March for approval. Some of the
highlights of the Agreement are as follows:
_
The term of the agreement is
for twelve years with a six-year Aopt-out@
by any County.
_
Each County maintains its own
autonomy including assets.
_
Processing expenses are fixed
the first year and adjusted annually based on actual costs.
_
All three Counties must agree
upon a County exceeding 110% or delivering less than 90% of its expected
annual tonnage or capital and technological upgrades at the processing
facilities.
AOur
three counties cooperating on this level by putting together a recycling
processing agreement is cutting edge governmental management. It is the
beginning of what I believe will develop in further cooperation on other
levels of mutual issues we discuss,@
said Winnebago County Executive Jane Van De Hey.
One of the State=s
Kettl Commission=s
recommendations is that municipal governments should regionalize various
services to increase efficiency and lower cost. Brown, Outagamie and
Winnebago County believe this is a perfect example of that.
The three County Solid Waste Directors, their recycling staff and
engineering consultants worked out costs and revenue estimates for various
consolidation alternatives over the last six months. The alternatives were
considered on the basis of their economics, efficiency and their ability
to provide the same recycling services each of the County=s
users have come to expect.
If the Agreement is approved, Winnebago and Outagamie Counties will
immediately begin reconfiguring their facilities with the goal of being
ready to accept the consolidated tonnage by fall of this year. Additional
details will be given at the press conference on February 12 at 2:00 p.m.
at the Material Recovery Facility of Outagamie County=s
Solid Waste Department, 1419 Holland Road, Appleton.
-30-
next Press Release
previous Press Release |