Wildcat Solid Waste board votes to buy three roll-off recycling containers; hauling, funding discussed

The Wildcat Solid Waste Management District voted to purchase three roll-off recycling containers and begin a renewed curbside/drop-off recycling effort after a board meeting in which members discussed vendors, hauling costs and funding options. The motion to buy three containers was made by a board member and approved by voice vote.

The district director (name not stated) told the board that neighboring Howard County has three used roll-off containers available and said the county quoted about $3,000 per container. He outlined expected operating costs, saying a hauler like Wamplers quoted about "$80 a pull" and estimating annual hauling and sorting fees at roughly "$10,000–$15,000"; disposal or processing fees at Werner's were cited around "$2,500 a year." The director also said GreenWave Electronics is the favored vendor for e-waste because it does not charge for miscellaneous electronics shipments.

Board members discussed funding the restart. The director proposed rolling leftover hazardous-waste budget money into the rainy-day fund each year and noted the district currently has about "$47,000" in that fund as a possible fallback. One board member cautioned staff to monitor cash flow before committing reserves, and staff agreed to review budget lines to identify available equipment funds and hauling costs.

During the discussion members debated how many containers to buy. One member said buying two risked running out of capacity and moved to "buy 3 and get started with it," a motion that was seconded and approved. The director said he would inspect the used containers before purchase and could circulate photos if the board preferred.

Outreach plans were also discussed: a board member recommended that staff ask county communications (Tammy Sander) to post information about the new container locations on the county Facebook page to notify residents. Staff agreed to do so.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will check the budget for available equipment funds, confirm pricing and condition of the containers, firm up hauling proposals, and share information with the public once logistics are confirmed. The vote to buy three containers was approved by voice vote with no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript.