Multi-county landfill would cost $6 million
Construction of a government-owned landfill in Marion, Harvey, or Dickinson counties would cost about $5.677 million, according to an engineer's study prepared for Central Kansas Regional Solid Waste Authority.
A fee of $20.64 per ton will be required to pay the costs of building and operating the landfill, at 250 tons per day.
The plan was submitted July 17 by consultant Jack Chappelle of Engineering Solutions and Designs.
Marion County Commissioner Bob Hein, a member of the authority board, gave copies of the report to other commissioners Monday at their regular weekly meeting.
Estimates are not based on a particular location. It uses purchase, design, and construction costs of $5.677 million, annual operating costs of $1.09 million, and annual debt service of $481,456.
The largest portion of construction costs are cell construction, $2.56 million; equipment purchase, $1.115 million; and acquisition of 640 acres, $640,000.
Cells would be 10 surface acres 30 feet deep, with a protection layer 24 inches thick plus lined membrane. Liner installation is projected at $1.237 million, with excavation at $1 million.
Annual operating costs include $206,000 for compactor and other equipment, $179,000 in labor costs for seven employees, and about $653,000 for future cell development, equipment, and closure costs.
Wages
On a divided vote, commissioners approved a three percent raise for all elected officials.
Commissioner Howard Collett made a motion that all elected officials' wages remain the same as now.
"We all knew what we were going to be paid when we ran," he said.
His motion died for lack of a second.
Hein made a motion to grant three percent raises. Commissioner Leroy Wetta gave the motion a second. Collett voted against it.
Merit raises for full-time employees began July 1. It averaged 3.6 percent. Some received smaller increases, while others received larger.
Commissioners also approved a 3.6 percent wage increase for permanent part-time employees, who work less than 1,000 hours annually.
Wages total about $2.167 million annually for the county. The county has about 100 employees.
Collett proposed the county make no change in wages in 2003 due to a declining stock market and company layoffs.
"We can't continue to do this (annual increases) with things the way they are," he said. Further, there are additional costs, such as higher shares of withholding payments the county must make. The county also is absorbing a health insurance increase of five percent.
"That, roughly, means $3 million next year for personnel services," Collett said.
Commissioners asked Clerk Carol Maggard to prepare a comparison for 2003, representing no change, and increases of one and two percent.
In a related matter, commissioners decided not to offer cash payments for overtime work but to continue the practice of granting compensatory time off. The employee manual allows either comp time or cash, with permission of the commission, but commissioners said the precedent was to offer comp time only.
