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Court backs USDA compost grant application and hears concerns about landfill capacity and host agreement
Summary
Franklin County authorized staff to apply for a USDA composting and food‑waste reduction grant and heard extensive discussion about landfill capacity, potential out‑of‑area waste (including a reported request for Lexington waste), and the need for a host agreement to set tonnage and waste‑type limits at Benson Valley Landfill.
Frankfort — The Franklin County Fiscal Court voted Aug. 28 to authorize filing an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a composting and food‑waste reduction grant that would fund land purchase, composting equipment and an operator to establish a food‑waste composting facility in the county.
Allie (solid‑waste coordinator) presented a draft application describing a pilot that would accept local food scraps, provide bulk pickup for farmers and produce a bagged compost product for sale at the farmers market. She said the draft anticipates a 2–10 acre site and includes a proposed $10,000 contribution to bolster farmers‑market programs such as SNAP/Voucher outreach.
Magistrates pressed for verification of several data points in the application. One raised the survey language that in the draft said "59% of residents would save food scraps and drop them off," which Allie said represented the percent of respondents to a local outreach effort (approximately 50 respondents), not 59% of all county residents; she agreed to revise the application wording to read "59% of residents polled" so it does not overstate participation.
The discussion expanded into a broader debate over Benson Valley Landfill capacity and the absence of a formal host agreement. Allie said a 2022 solid‑waste management plan estimated roughly 34 years of capacity at current rates and that she filed an open‑records request to identify which counties and tonnages the landfill accepts. Magistrates expressed concern about a reported request to accept commercial loads from Lexington — referenced in the meeting as up to 500 tons per day to the county landfill — and called for legal and host‑agreement work to limit tonnage and waste types.
"We need an attorney who specializes in this field," a magistrate said, urging the court to pursue a host agreement that specifies volume and material restrictions if the county accepts outside waste. County staff said the application included the Lexington request as an example of why local compost infrastructure could be needed to divert landfill-bound organics.
The court approved the compost grant application with clarifications requested in the meeting: revise polling language, confirm tonnage and source details from the state Division of Waste Management, and coordinate with legal staff on potential host‑agreement language before signing any long‑term contracts. Several magistrates thanked Allie and community partners for the draft and pledged further collaboration if the grant proceeds.
