The Troup County Board of Commissioners discussed a proposed ordinance on Thursday that would require construction and demolition materials that are being dumped to go to the Troup County landfill.

“Basically, any waste that is generated in [unincorporated] Troup County that is [construction and demolition] will have to go to our landfill,” County Manager Tod Tentler said. “It cannot go out of our county borders.”

According to County Engineer James Emery, the ordinance update would benefit the county and its citizens by ensuring that construction and demolition materials are properly and legally disposed of, while ensuring that the landfill remained financially stable.

“The purpose of this proposed ordinance amendment is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Troup County and the public … and also to maintain the economic viability of our publicly owned and operated landfill,” Emery said. “The purpose of it is also to enable the county through the revenue generated by its landfill operation to continue and expand its efforts to public awareness, reduce the volume of [construction] and [demolition] waste disposal through source reduction, recycling and reusing and resource recovery.”

Commissioner Lewis Davis asked if the property owner or the hauler would be held accountable under the ordinance. Emery confirmed that the one transporting the material would be the one held accountable, not the landowner. 

Emery also said the City of LaGrange is in the process of drafting a similar ordinance that would require construction and demolition materials from inside the city to go to the landfill.

Commissioner Richard English asked about companies and individuals working in West Point and Hogansville who would like to use the landfills in those cities. Emery said that would still be an option for locations within city limits, since the ordinance would only address the unincorporated area.

“Basically, anyone who transports [construction] and [demolition] waste generated within the unincorporated area of Troup County shall be required to deliver such construction and demolition waste to the Troup County C&D Landfill,” Emery said.

According to Emery, the Troup County C&D Landfill has one of the lowest rates in the area for that type of waste. Tentler said the ordinance has been under discussion since the City of LaGrange merged landfill space with the county in order to ensure that the use remains financially beneficial.

“This is vital to the landfill business if we want to stay in it,” Tentler said.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners will vote on the ordinance if it is ready on Tuesday.

Other issues discussed on Thursday included: 

• The commission discussed approximately 34 vehicles and 10 tractors that the commission can vote to be listed as surplus and sold on Govdeals.com during its Tuesday meeting. Anyone can purchase items off of the website, and officials have stated on several occasions that the county typically receives more for items on the website then from a standard auction due to a larger number of bidders. According to Troup County Shop Supervisor Glenn Downs, many of the vehicles have not been in need of repair since 2015.
• Troup County Purchasing Director Diana Evans presented a request for a 2019 International Roll Off Truck with hoist from Rush Truck Center for a total price of $158,485.98 to replace a truck that is no longer functioning. The truck will be purchased from the waste management enterprise fund. Downs said the vehicle will have a 3 year warranty. 
• Evans also presented a list of 30 requested vehicle purchases using SPLOST V funds for departments including building maintenance, fire department, marshal department, parks and recreation, road department, county shop and sheriff’s office. The Troup County Sheriff’s Office is expected to pay an overage of $11,190, so the total SPLOST expenditure is expected to be $901,394. 
• Troup County Parks and Recreation Director Cajen Rhodes presented an update on thee McCluskey Tennis Center. The county received two sealed bids for the tennis court replacement and lighting at the center. The low bid was presented by Signature Tennis from Woodstock for $260,000, and the staff recommended approval of that contractor. The phase of construction involving the tennis courts and lighting is expected to begin on Nov. 1 if the bid is awarded. The court and lighting replacement will be funded exclusively through SPLOST V funds. The county will vote on the proposal Tuesday.

The commissioners are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Avenue.