Dale Commission OKs longer solid waste agreement

The Dale County Commission agreed to sign a seven-year contract with the Southeast Alabama Waste Authority at the meeting Jan. 25.

The contract is two years longer than the previous contract which ran from May 15, 2017 through May 15 of this year.

The Southeast Alabama Solid Waste Authority is a public nonprofit corporation organized in March 1991 for the purpose of providing solid waste management services for Henry, Geneva and Dale Counties and some 30 individual municipalities in those counties and Eufaula in Barbour County.

When the authority was formed, one of its purposes was to control the costs of solid waste disposal for counties and individual municipalities within those counties. The authority was created in response to federal legislation requiring every county and city in Alabama to develop and adopt a comprehensive solid waste management plan

Over the years several towns and cities have left SASWA in favor of other means of disposal, such as private contractors or through city services. When the initial contract expired in 2013, several participating entities opted out of the solid waste authority, opting instead to privatize garbage pickup services. Henry, Geneva and Dale Counties and the cities of Daleville, Eufaula and Ozark, were among the municipalities that remained in the waste disposal co-op.

“It was actually a 20 year contract the first go round and a $2 million debt service,” explained Dale County Commission Chairman Steve McKinnon. “That’s why it was a 20-year contract.”

“(Dale County) was one of the incorporators of the solid waste authority,” said Dale County Attorney Henry Steagall. “We’ve been members of the authority since its inception. They are going to do some projects and the financial institutions want a longer commitment from the members so that’s why it’s seven years.”

“The authority is building a tipping station in Henry County and it’s just better to have a seven-year contract to cover the debt service on that,” McKinnon added.

Dale County Commissioner Charles “Chic” Gary asked if the authority could impose a rate change during the seven years of the new contract.

“That’s not something I can guarantee you on whether the rates will change one way or another,” replied SASWA Manager Dawn Ivey. “We try not to raise our rates unless we absolutely have to but I can’t guarantee that to you.

“There was only one rate change in the last five-year contract, the first rate change in 10 years,” she added.

“I think the way the contract is written they can change the rates at their discretion,” replied Steagall.

The next meeting of the Dale County Commission is Feb. 8 in the government building in Ozark. A work session begins at 9 a.m. and is followed immediately by a voting meeting. Both meetings are open to the public.