Tuesday, January 23, 2024–11:30 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Some members of the Rome-Floyd Solid Waste Committee think it may be time to look at an increase in tipping fees to address the issue of waste coming in from outside Floyd County.
Landfill Director Lee Stone told the committee on Tuesday that it can be difficult to tell what garbage or construction debris is actually from Floyd County.
“There are companies that are from Alabama and other areas that do a lot of work in Floyd County,” he said. “They just come into Floyd County and do the work. It’s really Floyd County trash that is coming from a residence where they are doing some kind of work. So, you can’t go by vehicle tags, the name on the truck, or any of that.”
Stone added that the only reason construction companies and others come to Floyd County is the lower tipping fees, which is $38 per ton for construction debris and garbage.
“The closest landfill to our west over in Alabama, it is $48 a ton and they have a two-ton minimum,’ he said. “So you are paying $96 right off the bat, and you have to have a hard hat and a vest. McGrady Road to the south of us in Cedartown is $49 a ton, plus they add on a surcharge for fuel. Bartow County, to the east of us, is right at $47, and Gordon County to the north of us is $60.”
Rome City Commissioner Jamie Doss, who serves on the solid waste committee, believes it’s not fair that businesses from other counties can bring their trash here to save money.
“To maintain and expand our landfill is a very expensive proposition to the taxpayers of Rome and Floyd County,” he said. “We need to adjust our rate to at least be competitive. Right now, we are lowballing phase nine of the landfill at around $10 million.”
According to Rome Public Works Director Chris Jenkins, tipping fees went from $32 a ton to the current $38 a ton in the last year or two, and the city has contracted with Atlantic Coast Consulting to do a study of tipping fees. The consulting firm is working on that study now.
“Can you start pushing them to get it done?” Commissioner Wright Bagby asked Jenkins. This would be worth a called meeting anytime because the situation is not good morally, and it’s certainly not good financially.”
In 2023, the landfill took in 104,666 tons of garbage, which was down by about 6,200 tons from 2022. The landfill also took in 32,621 tons of construction debris, which is up by 3,378 tons from the year prior.
