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Commissioners back submitting solid-waste plan despite Brunswick’s push for guaranteed waiver
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Summary
Medina County commissioners agreed to submit an updated county solid-waste plan for public comment and possible EPA review after heated discussion about the City of Brunswick’s request for a guaranteed five-year waiver from flow control. The board noted debt tied to the county facility and that a $15/ton fee likely won’t fully offset contract and revenue impacts.
After extended debate, the Medina County Board of Commissioners agreed to submit an updated solid-waste plan for public comment and for the county policy committee to confirm before formal ratification.
The discussion centered on a disputed request from the City of Brunswick for a guaranteed waiver from county flow-control provisions for the five-year plan. County staff and advisory committees recommended keeping an optional, annually reviewed waiver system rather than granting Brunswick a guaranteed exemption.
Sanitary engineer Dan Becker said the technical-advisory committee’s vote on whether to allow a waiver was “very close” and that the plan currently includes a $15-per-ton waiver fee. "We have built in it actually into the plan of $15 a ton, waiver fee," Becker said, but he added that the fee "does not come anywhere near covering what Rumpke is gonna be on our contract." He warned that the county’s contract with Rumpke runs through 2033 and that there are county debt obligations extending to 2044 tied to the facility.
Commissioners and staff described the economic trade-offs. One commissioner noted that granting a guaranteed waiver could set a precedent and show favoritism to one community and that the waiver system should be optional and evaluated annually. Another commissioner said Brunswick had indicated it would veto the plan unless its requested guaranteed waiver was included for the full term of the plan.
Board members discussed three practical options: (1) submit the draft plan as written and see whether Brunswick vetoes it, risking EPA involvement; (2) redraft the plan to eliminate the waiver; or (3) keep the draft with an annually reviewed waiver and accompanying $15/ton fee while attempting contract negotiations with Rumpke. Becker cautioned that renegotiating Rumpke’s contract would be complex and that a $15/ton fee likely would not make the county whole for lost revenue.
The board directed staff to proceed with the version the policy committee had submitted to the Ohio EPA with refinements requested by the EPA and to schedule a policy-committee meeting within the next month or two to confirm the version for public comment. "So, at this point, we'll stay with what the version the policy committee submitted to EPA with the complying with their comments," Becker said.
Why it matters: The decision balances local control over waste flow and existing contractual debt obligations. If Brunswick vetoes the county plan and it goes to the Ohio EPA, the agency could hire a consultant and impose a plan with a shorter term, which county staff said would have fiscal implications for debt service and the operation of the county transfer facility.
What’s next: County staff will finalize the plan refinements requested by EPA, the policy committee will reconvene to confirm the submission for public comment, and the commissioners will consider ratification after the public-comment period. If Brunswick exercises a veto, the matter could shift to Ohio EPA review.
