Small Town News

Dozer sale on hold

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The Regional Board of Mayors efforts to declare surplus a big piece of equipment has run into a bit of a snag.

Electric City's council voted to go along with the recommendation to sell the D6H Caterpillar tractor once used to work the landfill, but the next night Coulee Dam threw a monkey wrench into the works.

Coulee Dam's council voted to surplus the tractor, but with a caveat: the proceeds must reduce the landfill debt.

The tractor was used while the landfill was in operation, but with that changed to a transfer station officials say there is no need for the equipment.

The intent of the mayors was that the proceeds from the sale would go into the landfill's general fund.

The mayors anticipate that the tractor will bring from $20,000 to $30,000 on the open market.

The Coulee Dam motion and proposal sends it all back to the mayors who will have to decide what to do with it.

When the mayors reach a decision on matter, the four councils have to ratify the decision.

The issue of money got a full airing when Coulee Dam's council was asked to pass a resolution to raise garbage rates by $1.50 a month.

Town Clerk Carol Visker explained to the council that Gray & Osborne, the mayors' engineering firm, said that the operation of the new transfer station was suffering a loss in revenues that could total $30,000 by the end of the year.

The increase of garbage rates would offset the loss, Visker explained.

Councilmember Ray Duclos objected to the raise. It appeared that no one was happy with the Regional Board of Mayors recommendation to raise the rates.

Councilmember Ben Ailing moved to allow the rate increase under what he called "protest."

Duclos voted against the measure.

One of the reasons for the decline in transfer station revenue was that the tipping rates were so high at the transfer station that those with large loads were hauling them to Ephrata themselves because it was cheaper to dump there.

The rate at the Delano Regional Transfer Station is $122 a ton. The Grant County landfill at Ephrata charges $27 a ton.



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© 2011 The Star Grand Coulee, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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