Warren County to seek $10,000 tire-recycling grant and hold April collection day

Warren County staff announced plans to apply for a $10,000 tire-recycling grant and to hold a community tire-collection day in April.

The staff member reporting to the meeting said the grant application will be submitted when funds are released in late February or early March and that the county intends to use roughly four trailers for the event, down from as many as six trailers in prior years. “Im gonna apply for an in full amount of $10,000,” the staff member said, adding that organizers typically plan for a spring event because the weather is milder.

Staff described a recurring challenge with trailer logistics and processing: Rodney Rogers supplies and shreds tires at a facility near the old Army ammunition plant, and availability of trailers has varied by year. “Rodney, Rodney Rogers, hes the guy I work with to recycle these tires,” the staff member said. The presenters noted that tires often arrive from neighboring counties and that individual residents and small groups have brought hundreds of tires in prior events.

Officials also discussed outreach methods to boost participation, noting that print notices reached fewer people than social media and flyers. The staff member said the county typically fills between three and six trailers during past events and that the plan this year is to prepare four trailers and scale up if needed.

The meeting also included an equipment note: highway staff proposed inspecting and having a bent axle redone on a county vehicle, with an estimate the work could be about $15,000. The staff member said crews will examine the vehicle and will not authorize the repair until they have been contacted; a motion was made to proceed with assessment and potential repair.

Next steps: the county will file the grant application when the program opens in late February or early March and will finalize the April tire-collection date and trailer counts once partner availability is confirmed.