Solid waste board approves $1,135 gearbox and motor to fix glass-recycling machine, sets Oct. 3 cleanup

At a board meeting, members voted to buy a gearbox and motor costing $1,135.54 to repair a glass-recycling machine that has been out of service for about a month. The Chair said the unit blows a breaker under load and that local technicians and staff had differing assessments, so the board approved ordering the parts and returning the machine to service once repaired.

The Chair reviewed claims and the month’s revenue, noting a $2,430 bill for work on a Fairmount door and total April income of $9,129.15. The Chair also said cardboard revenue typically comes from about two trailers a month and that cardboard prices rose $10 per ton in May to $83.50.

On the repair, the Chair said mechanics tested the breaker and the motor but that some staff — named in the meeting as Ken, Kim and Sam — believed the motor or gearbox to be faulty. The Chair said she obtained a vendor quote for a gearbox and motor totaling $1,135.54, with shipping to be added at the time of shipment, and requested board approval. "I feel like I we should fix it and, you know, so but I won't do so without the permission of the board," the Chair said. A Committee member moved to approve the purchase, the motion was seconded, and members voted in favor; the Chair said the parts would be ordered and the machine repaired.

The board also discussed community cleanup plans tied to pending IDEM grant paperwork. The Chair said IDEM had not yet supplied necessary paperwork and set a tentative cleanup date of Oct. 3 from 8 a.m. to noon, citing that June is too hot for trailers. The Chair noted a request from Roger Budrow to place a trailer near the area off Highway 63 and said staff would follow up on placement logistics.

Members noted the glass-recycling machine is heavily used by residents and local wineries and that the crushed glass produces a sand used in a filter; while some counties repurpose similar material for roads, this board is not doing so. The Chair scheduled the next board meeting for Monday, June 15 at 8 a.m. and the meeting adjourned after a vote.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to accept minutes/claims: approved by those present (ayes recorded). - Motion to purchase gearbox and motor ($1,135.54 plus shipping): approved by those present (ayes recorded). - Motion to adjourn: approved by those present (ayes recorded).

This article reports only items recorded in the meeting transcript; where details were not provided in the transcript (for example, vendor shipping cost and the full roster of voting members), the article states only what was recorded.