Boone County solid-waste board clarifies $5.2M financing cap and authorizes offer on Lebanon property

The Boone County Solid Waste Management District unanimously approved a corrected bond resolution and authorized staff to make an offer on a Lebanon property as part of its search for a consolidated recycling and household-hazardous-waste site.

Jennifer, a district staff member, told the board the updated financing measure — renumbered as resolution 26-01 — clarifies that the $5,200,000 limit includes net bond costs and may be used for both acquisition and any necessary improvements. The board voted 6–0 to adopt the resolution.

Miss Lawrence, who led a long staff presentation on candidate sites, said the parcel the board selected for an authorization to make an offer was identified in the meeting materials as 5441 U.S. 52 in Lebanon; during the motion the number was spoken differently on the record, creating a discrepancy the board should reconcile in written offer paperwork. The board passed resolution 26-02 authorizing an offer and related due-diligence work (surveys, appraisals, environmental consultants) by the same 6–0 count.

Board members discussed trade-offs between near-term, lower-cost retrofit options and longer-term build-to-suit sites. Miss Lawrence reviewed site requirements the district has used to evaluate candidates: ideally 5–6 acres for a new undeveloped site (or 2–3 acres if regional ponds and existing site infrastructure reduce footprint), 10,000–14,000 square feet of warehouse/processing space, multiple truck docks, office and meeting space for outreach, fire-suppression capability and room for exterior drop-off/compactors.

The board heard that the parcel listed as 5441 U.S. 52 has an existing ~3,800-square-foot building, an on-site retention pond and room for expansion; Miss Lawrence also said the district obtained a commercial appraisal for that site. She noted septic sizing, easements and other site constraints will be part of the due-diligence review. "We can add two buildings onto one commercial septic in the state of Indiana," she told the board, with the caveat that system sizing depends on staffing levels and other factors.

Board Chair McDonald said the authorization would allow the district to enter a due-diligence period and engage counsel and consultants if an offer is accepted. The board also discussed community concerns and the importance of clear public messaging that the facility would act as a drop-off and collection point — not a transfer station that brings in truckloads of municipal solid waste for disposal.

Next steps: staff will prepare the written offer and begin the due-diligence period if an offer is authorized by the seller; the board scheduled its next regular meeting for Sept. 17, 2026.