By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Repairs to the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling transfer station west of Menomonie on state Highway 29 would cost an estimated $212,768.
The repairs would address building code violations of federal and state building codes, said Morgan Gerk, director of Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling, at a meeting of the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling Management Board on April 6.
The repairs that are needed are included in the commercial building inspection report, and the estimate of $212,768 is from Durand Builders, he said.
Approximately 99 percent of the damages to the building happened a long time ago and were never fixed, Gerk said.
Gerk was hired as director of Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling in the summer of 2016.
Before the inspection report and appraisal of the transfer station can be released as public information, Nick Lange, Dunn County corporation counsel, is assessing the best way to release the information, Gerk said.
The inspection report and the appraisal will help the Dunn County Board in making a decision on what to do with the transfer station, he said, noting that the appraisal of the transfer station was on an “as is” basis.
Would the repairs be required to be made if the transfer station was leased? asked Zenon Smolarek, a member of the DCSW&R board.
Writing a lease that takes repairs into consideration would be difficult, Gerk said, noting the lease would have to address whether Dunn County or the entity leasing the transfer station would have to make the repairs.
The better option may be to sell the transfer station “as is” and let the buyer make the repairs, he said.
Non-mandated
Non-mandated recyclables and the transfer station were the subject of a recent meeting between Paul Miller, county manager, and representatives for the City of Menomonie, the Town of Red Cedar and the Town of Menomonie.
People are asking where they can take their non-mandated recyclables, and the representatives for the City and Town of Menomonie and Town of Red Cedar would like the transfer station to be used for non-mandated recyclables, Miller said.
Commercial haulers pick up mandated recyclables and trash.
The representatives for the municipalities said Dunn County should sell or lease the transfer station “sooner rather later,” Miller said.
Miller said he had explained that Dunn County was currently in the process of evaluating the range of options, which would include selling the transfer station, leasing it, mothballing it or using it for cold storage.
“It is a deliberative process, not something to be decided in a speedy fashion,” he said.
During the meeting with City of Menomonie, Town of Menomonie and Town of Red Cedar officials, concerns were expressed about materials being dumped in ditches, but even at that, Dunn County does not need to rush into a decision, Miller said.
Steve Rasmussen, a member of the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling Management Board, asked where people could take their used tires.
Menomonie Disposal will pick up tires from their customers, but there is no place where you can bring used tires, Gerk said.
Tires
The Colfax collection site and the Elk Mound collection site, under the management of Colfax Solid Waste and Recycling committee, and with the Village of Colfax as the Responsible Unit, allows residents from member municipalities to bring used tires for a fee.
Member municipalities include the Village of Colfax and the Towns of Colfax, Grant, Otter Creek, Tainter and Wilson and the Village of Elk Mound and the Towns of Elk Mound and Spring Brook.
The fee schedule for non-mandated recyclables, including tires, can be found on the Village of Colfax’s website under the “solid waste and recycling” tab.
Fees for the Colfax and Elk Mound collection sites include $5 (without the rim) and $10 (with the rim) for tires from passenger vehicles, trailers, motorcycles and ATVs.
The fee schedule includes the list of all of the tires accepted at the Colfax and Elk Mound collection sites.
People who live in municipalities that are not members of the Colfax Responsible Unit can purchase a solid waste and recycling annual permit for $200 and can then bring their household trash, mandated recyclables and non-mandated-recyclables-for-a-fee to either the Colfax collection site or the Elk Mound site.
Report
Gerk also presented some details on the materials recovery facility report and noted there were differences in tonnage between 2019 and 2020.
The total number of tons processed at the transfer station was 731.47 tons less in 2020, said Gerk, who attributed the decrease in tons to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as that some of the Dunn County collection sites were open one day per week instead of two days.
All together, there was a decrease of 13.32 tons of glass, an increase of a half ton on metal containers, and a decrease of 24.34 tons for 1 and 2 plastics, Gerk said.
Paper and cardboard experienced a decrease of 921.79 tons in 2020, he said.
On the other hand, tires increased by 302.21 tons to a total of 505.84 tons, Gerk said, noting that since Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling was closing, some county residents may have viewed it as their last opportunity to dispose of their used tires.
Ridgeland
The Ridgeland collection site is 99 percent dismantled, Gerk said.
The land will revert back to the original owner by a quit claim deed, he said.
The Town of Elk Mound has asked to acquire the outhouse, and the compactor (without a receiver box) will go up for auction later this year, Gerk said.
The oil collection station and the office were able to be taken out in “one piece” by the facilities department, so the oil collection station and the office can still be used. Maybe someone would like to use the office on their farm or for a small outdoor business, he said.
After the work of sorting and disposing of the remaining recyclables at the transfer station is finished, then the effort can turn toward arranging an online auction for the remaining items, which will be done in coordination with the facilities department, Gerk said.
Clean Sweep
Although Dunn County did not hold a Clean Sweep event last year, Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling has received the Clean Sweep grant in the amount of $10,000, Gerk said.
The $10,000 was awarded for hazardous household materials that had been collected out of the trash at the transfer station, he said.
Balance
Gary Bjork, county board member from Colfax and chair of the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling Management Board, asked about the balance in the solid waste and recycling account.
Bills are still being paid, and the audit process is just starting, so it is difficult to determine a balance, said Keith Strey, chief financial officer for Dunn County.
There are also some delinquent accounts that must be straightened out, too, Gerk noted.
Tim Lienau, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of DCSW&R board, asked if the end loader at the transfer station would be auctioned off.
The highway department is interested in the end loader to use in the salt shed, Gerk said.
Since there is no business to conduct, the Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling Management Board most likely will not meet again until June or July.
No meeting is necessary until the board is ready to make a recommendation to the county board on selling or leasing the transfer station, or if instead of a recommendation, is ready to give information to the county board about selling or leasing, said Dave Bartlett, county board supervisor from Boyceville and chair of the Dunn County Board.
