Staff Report

The Bell County 109 Board approved the agreement for the 2013 Litter Abatement Grant during their recent meeting. The grant still needs to be signed by the board chairman, Kirby Smith III. The amount of grant funding available to the county will not be determined until after Nov. 1.

Once all applications are received, the amount of funding available for each county will be calculated. The funding will be disbursed by approximately Jan. 1, 2013.

The litter abatement grant is used for direct expense associated with anti-litter control programs and litter cleanup on public roads. The funds are to be used during the calendar year 2013.

The board also discussed on ongoing problem involving bypass fees. The issue at hand involves the lack of an adequate report on the fees and the lack of payment from Waste Connections.

All garbage from Waste Connections goes through the Bell County Solid Waste Transfer Stations. Individuals do have an option to bypass the transfer station, but are required to pay a fee.

The fee is paid quarterly. According to the board, Waste Connections owes them for two quarters. The board would also like a better report for the bypass fees from Waste Connections.

The board plans to write a letter to Waste Connections about the fees, which states the board plans to withhold money if the fees are not paid properly.

Other business taken care of during the meeting included:

• Approval of minutes from the previous meeting;

• Approval of the financial report;

• Approval of the enforcement report;

• Report for recycling supervisor Kevin Smith;

• Sign resolution for 2013-2017 solid waste plan.