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Commission told sanitation funds cannot be used to repair bridge damaged by county garbage truck
Summary
After an overweight Solid Waste truck damaged a bridge, the county engineer recommended replacing the span with three 84" pipes at about $60,000; the county attorney cited an Attorney General opinion that prevents using sanitation funds to pay for road repairs caused by county garbage trucks.
Geneva County road staff reported that a vehicle heavier than a posted three-ton limit crossed a damaged bridge last week and broke the mid-span. Engineer Justin Barfield said his department examined options and determined that installing three 84-inch pipes would allow the county to lift the weight limit; he estimated the cost at about $60,000.
County Attorney Phil Eldridge advised commissioners that state guidance and an Alabama Attorney General opinion (Winston County Opinion 2011-068) prevent using Sanitation (Solid Waste) funds to repair roads damaged by the county's garbage trucks. Eldridge explained that the statutory language governing sanitation funds ties the fees to waste-disposal programs and does not authorize diversion to general road repairs. The commission discussed alternatives for funding the pipe replacement and whether the Solid Waste department could be charged for the damage, and no final funding decision was recorded in the minutes.
