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City council approves short-term reserve draw to start construction work on landfill Cell 5
Summary
Columbus city council approved using two days of the general-fund reserve (about $1.33 million) to begin design and procurement work for a new landfill cell after years of delay on a vertical‑expansion permit. Councilors said the draw preserves options ahead of a January 2026 deadline if state approval does not arrive.
Columbus city council on Feb. 25 authorized a short-term draw from the consolidated government's reserve fund to start construction planning and procurement for Cell 5 at the Pine Grove landfill, a step officials said is needed to avoid having to haul municipal waste out of county if a pending state permit is not granted.
City Manager Isaiah Hughley told council the city has pursued a vertical expansion permit since 2019 that, if approved, would extend the life of the current working phase. Because the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has not yet approved that permit, Public Works Director Drell Short said the council must prepare Cell 5 now so the city has space available by January 2026 if needed.
Short said completion of construction documents and contractor procurement on an accelerated schedule would require initial funds now; the city will seek a long-term plan for financing the remaining construction during the FY26 budget process. Finance Director Angelica Alexander presented fund and revenue numbers showing the integrated-waste fund runs a structural deficit and that residential fees provide more than 90% of the program’s operating revenue.
Councilors debated options including borrowing, partial reserve draws and a multi-year repayment plan. Councilor Lehi Davis proposed and council later approved a substitute motion to draw the equivalent of two days of the general‑fund reserve (approximately $1,327,768) to begin the work on design and procurement while staff returns with a repayment plan and full budget proposal. The vote was taken by voice and the substitute motion passed.
Councilors stressed the decision was intended to avoid an operational emergency in January 2026 if EPD still has not acted. Staff noted the immediate action will fund preparation of construction documents and early procurement steps that the project timeline requires if construction is to begin in spring/early summer 2025. Short estimated the construction‑document/initial‑procurement package at roughly $90,000–$100,000; the full Cell 5 construction cost remains an estimated multi‑million‑dollar project that staff will bring back to council during the budget process.
If Cell 5 is not ready by January 2026, staff warned, the city would have to transport municipal waste to out‑of‑county facilities or build a transfer point — options that would add millions of dollars annually in hauling and tipping fees. Officials said the two‑day reserve draw is intended to buy the city time to secure a longer‑term financing approach and, if possible, avoid outside hauling.
Councilors and staff also said they will continue vigorous follow-up with EPD and state partners to expedite review of the vertical‑expansion permit that has been pending since 2019.
What happens next: Staff will use the approved reserve funds to finish construction documents and to advertise for construction contractors; the council will consider a repayment plan and any further appropriations during the FY26 budget process.
