News : Vinton to see 28 percent increase in county landfill fee in 2013

The landfill fee for Vinton taxpayers will increase nearly $37,000, or 28 percent this year as the city shares the expense of preparing to close the Benton County landfill.

The per capita fee is increasing from $25 to $32 per person. With an official population of 5,257, Vinton's total cost will be $168,224; last year's expense was $131,425.

Mayor John Watson invited the county supervisors and county engineer to Thursday's council meeting to discuss the landfill and its expenses, as well as to begin exploring future options for solid waste disposal.

Supervisor Jason Sanders stated that DNRclosure and post-closure requirements of a landfill cell are expensive. New regulations require the closure of the landfill to include placing a membrane over the top of the landfill; previous regulations allowed for covering it with dirt.

A few of the options mentioned during Thursday's meeting included:

1. A solid waste commission could be formed with county and city representatives.

2. Updating the 28E agreement could be considered.

CountyEngineerMyron Parizek stated that a consultant was hired last summer. The landfill cell, he said, could be full in four to seven years.

The county has 3 options for the future:

1) operate the landfill as currently, adding more space;

2) become a transfer site which separates and forwards waste to other locations; or,

3) transfer responsibility to each community, and let each city decide where and how to dispose of its solid waste.