JSWM District board discusses its solid waste plan

Stark County commissioner Richard Regula was elected chairperson of the Joint Solid Waste Management District Board of Directors at the Feb. 2 meeting. Tuscarawas County commissioner Kristin Zemis was elected vice chairperson, and Rachel Rothacher, administrative director, was named board secretary. There are nine county commissioners from Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne who make up the board. The chairman position is rotated each year.

Steve Tharp, district operations coordinator, was named assistant executive director for the district. Tharp has been employed by the district since 2017.

The board also did the following:

—Heard the 10-year solid waste plan is updated every three years and the next planning period will begin in September.

—Learned the tipping fee revenue is down 2.64% in 2023 from 2022 through November 2023.

—Heard by using the first 11 months of the year revenue, the district can project an annual tipping fee revenue total of about $3.5 million.

—Renewed the property/liability insurance with Public Entities Pool of Ohio at a cost of $26,887, an annual increase of $1,420 over 2023.

—Hired Terry Seeberger, legal counsel, at $150 per hour.

—Applied for a $137,000 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Community and Litter Grant. If approved, the funds will be used for site improvements at Jackson Strausser, Jackson Barn, Perry Southway, Paris Township and Newcomerstown Recycling. The grant will be awarded April 1.

—Learned the district had 17 yard waste sites in the three counties and that has been reduced to seven sites due to an increase in costs and changing market conditions for demand for yard waste. The 2024 budget is $150,000 annually.

Other information

The board appointed the following 2024 committees:

—Budget: Stark County commissioner Bill Smith, Tuscarawas County commissioner Chris Abbuhl and Wayne County commissioner Ron Amstutz.

—Personnel: Regula, Tuscarawas County commissioner Greg Ress and Wayne County commissioner Jonathan Hofstetter.

—Policy: Stark County commissioner Janet Weir Creighton, Zemis and Hofstetter.

—Audit: Creighton, Zemis and Hofstetter.

—Landfill/rules: Regula, Zemis and Wayne County commissioner Sue Smail.

—Records: Smith, Abbuhl and Amstutz.

A policy committee meeting was held following the board meeting. The 2024 officers elected were Kristin Zemis, chairperson; Jonathan Hofstetter, vice chairperson; and Rachel Rothacher, administrative director, policy committee secretary.

The district received a clean audit for 13 years in a row, which included no findings for recovery or material deficiencies and more. Erica Wright is the financial director.

The board set meetings for March 1, May 3, July 12, Sept. 6 and Nov. 1 at 9:30 a.m. at 9918 Wilkshire Blvd. in Bolivar.