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Recycling coordinator Rachel France details grants, one hazardous-waste event plan; commissioners approve Eaton County scrap-tire MOU
Summary
Rachel France told Barry County commissioners the recycling program secured grants and is shifting to one annual hazardous-waste event while pursuing cardboard compactors and expanded drop-off options; the board approved an Eaton County MOU for scrap-tire grant administration.
Rachel France, Barry County’s recycling coordinator, told the Board of Commissioners on March 10 that the county has won and applied for a series of recycling and material-management grants and will reduce hazardous-waste collection to a single annual event while expanding drop-off access.
France said the county has awarded seven mini-grants and has drawn $124,000 in grant reimbursements to date. She said staff has applied for roughly $371,200 in additional grant requests to buy and install three cardboard compactors, support scrap-tire collections and continue material-management-plan work. "In 2025, we disposed of over 65,000 pounds of hazardous waste," France said, citing 23,588 pounds of electronics and more than 7,000 tires as examples.
France told commissioners the county’s hazardous-waste events have become more expensive even as collected weights trend downward, and the material-management planning committee therefore recommends moving to one county event in 2026 with extended hours and pre-registration. She said the county is negotiating agreements with neighboring counties and service sites (including Kalamazoo and a Kent County site) to give residents weekday drop-off options and a voucher program for certain collection centers.
The presentation summarized recent spending and revenue: tipping fees and grant awards are the chief revenue sources, while hazardous events and electronics disposal are the largest expenses; the county plans to use roughly $290,600 of implementation funding from the material-management grant program during 2027–2029.
Commissioners praised the outreach and volunteers that support hazardous-waste events and asked questions about logistics and grant timing. Commissioner Hatfield cautioned that state grant promises can be slow to materialize, noting "EGLE is good at outlining requirements but the cash never shows up," a complaint he said had surfaced in other jurisdictions as well.
The board then considered a routine administrative item tied to the recycling program: a memorandum of understanding with Eaton County to administer a direct-pay scrap-tire grant (Eaton County submits the application and the grant program pays haulers directly). Commissioner Hatfield moved to approve the memorandum of understanding and the board adopted the motion by roll-call vote.
France said the county will continue outreach and public comment on the draft material-management plan and will return with updated recycling-rate numbers when they are available. She also announced foam (Styrofoam) recycling will be accepted at the next hazardous-waste event and asked for continued volunteer support.
The county’s next steps include finalizing bids for the 2026 hazardous-waste event and continuing grant applications for cardboard compactors and other infrastructure.
Ending — The board thanked France for the report and approved the Eaton County MOU to support the county’s scrap-tire collections. France said citizen engagement and additional grants will determine the final service mix for 2026.
