The Pratt County Recycling Center continues to reduce the total amount of waste going into the Pratt County Landfill. Jason Winkel, county landfill manager, said the average ton per day of 14.9 tons at the landfill in 2019 was down one ton from 15.9 tons per day in 2018. The total intake for 2019 was 10,497 tons and that was down 521.58 tons from the previous year. Winkel presented recycle center and landfill stats to the Pratt County Commissioners at their regular Monday meeting. Commissioner Glenna Borho was absent from the meeting.
At the recycling center for 2019, plastic totals were up 1.7 tons, glass up 4.9 tons, aluminum up 1.3 tons and tin up 2.8 tons. Newspapers were down 11.0 tons, chipboard up 22.2 tons, office pack down 9.5 tons, magazines up 6.12 tons, phone books up 3.5 tons and cardboard down 5.5 tons. The total fiber intake for 2019 was up 5.9 ton from 2018.
While many bring their cardboard to the recycling center, the center also has a cardboard route covering 12 businesses and that route brought in 27.3 tons of material.
The total intake at the recycle center for 2019 was 312.5 tons and that was up 16.4 tons over 2018.
The diversion rate is not available this year because there has been an influx of out of county recyclables and closure of all recycle centers in the area.
“This will make our diversion rate incorrect if calculated at this time,” Winkel said.
At the landfill, city solid waste was down 84.6 tons, solid waste was down 266.7 tons, construction-demolition materials were down 247.2 tons, City bio-solids were up 91.9 tons, City compost was up 16.2 tons, City clean up week was up 17.7 tons, concrete was down 32.4 tons, grain waste was down 155.5 tons, industrial waste was up 127.3 tons, special waste was down 7.7 tons.
The total intake at the landfill for 2019 was 10,497.4 tons and that was down 521.58 tons from 2018. The average tons per day in 2019 was 14.9 tons and that was down one tone per day from 2018.
Also at the landfill, Winkel is searching for a new seat for the scraper. The airbag for the seat is not keeping the seat aired up and the smallest bump jars the operator. Winkel said he had received one quote but was seeking another before he presents the bids to the commissioners.
An upgrade in equipment will help make the county noxious weed department more efficient. Commissioners approved a $8,948 bid from Kenneth Sales and Service of Lewis for a new sprayer that includes a pump, motor, reels and hose. Robert Torres, noxious weed and environmental services supervisor, said this unit was less expensive than the other bid and is a better machine.
Commissioners approved a road crossing permit for SCTelcom to install additional fiber optic cable in the county. Doug Freund, county road and bridge supervisor, said this installation is an addition to other installation in the county
Bill Hampton, county Fire and Rescue chief, said their new epager system was now online and working well. It can be uses to page both city and county fireman. It can also show which firefighters are available.
A county fire repeater is done with controls in a road box that is secure and water proof.
Firefighters will be practicing repelling for several day using a portable tower that goes up 50 feet.
Larry Sharp, representative of KCAMP insurance, presented an extensive list of services available to the county that started using KCAMP in 2019. The county has not filed a claim with the new insurance so Sharp was just presenting service information.