County steps toward dissolving WUR

Calling Wayne Union Recycling a “cumbersome” process to administer, Wayne County’s commissioners took the first step Nov. 6 toward dissolving the quasi-government organization.

Commissioners Jeff Plasterer and Brad Dwenger asked county attorney Ron Cross to prepare the necessary resolutions. Commissioner Mary Anne Butters could not attend the meeting.

WUR formed three decades ago with Wayne, Union and Randolph counties when the state mandated counties be part of a regional solid waste district. Randolph County left WUR during its early stages, leaving Wayne and Union counties, their soil and water districts, and Richmond Sanitary District to collaborate for the promotion of recycling and proper disposal of materials.

County officials have learned, however, that state law changed less than a decade ago, dropping the regional solid waste district requirement. Counties may now be their own solid waste district or not belong to a solid waste district at all.

WUR has its own budget — approved by Wayne County Council at $173,826 for 2025 — funded by tipping fees at the New Paris Pike Landfill. Union County has no landfill, so it does not contribute any tipping fees. The Union County Soil and Water District pays 10% toward a Wayne County employee’s wages for WUR work.

If WUR is disbanded, the county would collect the tipping fees and put them in a special fund. The county could then continue recycling and disposal efforts — such as tire collections, e-waste collections, toxic material collections and document shredding — and include Union County residents. 

“We think it makes sense, but I understand why people in the past have been reluctant to take that step,” Plasterer said. “But knowing what we know now, I think it would be almost malfeasance to not take this step.”

That step also comes at a time when the sanitary district is trying to expand its recycling program to more of Wayne County. Pat Smoker, the sanitary district’s director, has for several years pursued grants to help purchase equipment and to promote recycling. He’s told Richmond Common Council on multiple occasions that he thinks the Environmental Protection Agency will mandate recycling changes to divert materials from landfills.

In fact, the sanitary district recently received a $249,382 grant from the state’s Recycling Market Development Board to purchase a compactor and baler to expand its plastics recycling, to provide additional curbside recycling outside the city and to market the recycling services. It’s expected the expansion will divert an additional 120 tons of material from the landfill during the first year, according to a news release.

“Richmond Sanitary District also has an interest in expanding their geographic outreach to more, if not all, of Wayne County to do recycling, because so much of the waste in Wayne County goes into their landfill even if it’s collected by Best Way or Rumpke,” Plasterer said.

Cabling project

The winning bid for the county’s cabling project that will run new internet cable for phone and for data to each workstation is significantly lower than estimated.

Commissioners approved a contract with Northern AV Group for $178,830.90. The project estimate was $500,000. That provides an extra $321,169.10 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars that can be diverted toward the county’s emergency communications project.

Tower contracts

Commissioners approved a contract and lease agreement related to that communications project.

The contract is for $82,850 with Thermo Bond Buildings to provide two buildings to house equipment at the two new communications tower sites.

The lease agreement is with TowerKing, the company that will construct and own the two communications towers. One of the new towers will be at the Wayne County Highway Department facility along U.S. 40 west of Centerville. Commissioners approved a 50-year lease with TowerKing paying $500 a month.

The county will lease tower space from TowerKing at both tower sites as volunteer fire communications are switched to an 800 megahertz system. The switch should alleviate the decades-old problem of radio dead spots in the northeastern and southwestern portions of the county.