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Bradley County commissioners approve $1,421 amendment to continue landfill air-monitoring contract
Summary
The Bradley County Commission voted 5-0 to move $1,421 from the landfill fund balance to cover an increased annual charge for an air-monitoring contract after commissioners debated whether the monitors remain necessary.
The Bradley County Commission on Friday approved a $1,421 budget amendment to continue an air-monitoring contract at the county landfill, voting 5-0 to move the money from the landfill fund balance to cover the higher contract price.
County Mayor Davis told commissioners the contractor raised the annual price to $73,521 while the county budgeted $72,100, and that the commission needed to approve the small transfer "before I can pay the bill." He said, "I didn't increase it, and they they increased the price this year. The new price is $73,521. We have 72,100 in the budget. So if you wanna continue the contract, I need an amendment." The commission approved the amendment by voice vote.
Commissioners debated whether to continue the monitoring program, which has run three to four years. One commissioner said Republic Services, which operates at the landfill, has reduced the volume of sludge it accepts and that the odor issues the monitors originally tracked have largely abated. Mayor Davis and others noted monitors have been useful in the past to demonstrate when air readings were not elevated and to address community concerns. The mayor also said one monitor was temporarily down and that a county resident who tracks the system alerts staff if a sensor fails.
Commissioners raised the cost-to-benefit question. One commissioner asked, "What are we getting for $73,000 other than somebody sitting and reading the monitor?" County staff replied the system produces daily automated reports that staff and elected officials can review, and that some technical expertise is needed to interpret the charts.
The commission approved the transfer and the payment for the coming year but did not end the contract. Mayor Davis asked that the county revisit whether to continue the monitoring program during the next budget cycle, saying the appropriate time to make a longer-term decision is at budget time.
Votes at a glance: the amendment to move $1,421 from the landfill fund balance to pay the 2025–26 air-monitoring contract passed 5-0.
