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Commissioners to consider landfill contract

2-year deal for e-waste, white goods collection

NEW ULM — Brown County Commissioners will consider a two-year contract Tuesday with Ron’s Recycling of Walnut Grove to collect e-waste and white goods at the Brown County Landfill.

Brown County offered residents e-waste and white goods recycling services since 2012, working that entire period with SW Recycling of Willmar.

The program has been used by Brown County residents, and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee and county solid waste haulers see the service as a valuable resource for residents.

Brown County Recycling sent out a quote request for five Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)-certified, area e-waste and white goods haulers. Four quotes were received.

Ron’s Recycling had the lowest quoted cost and would not involve changes to existing landfill recycling infrastructure.

Other contractors offered to leave a semi-trailer on site and simply swap out trailers when one is full. Doing so would incur higher transportation and landfill loading dock set up costs.

Ron’s charging rate is $.25/lb. A TV or computer can weigh from 20 to 90 pounds and cost the County $5-$22 an item.

Brown County Solid Waste/Recycling recommends the e-waste rate remain at $15/item to customers. Brown County will be charged $10/item from Ron’s for white goods and will continue to charge customers $10/item.

Commissioners will also consider:

• Purchasing a $2,467.50 Stalker DSR radar unit for a new Brown County Sheriff’s Office squad vehicle. The current squad radar doesn’t work and is not cost-effective to repair.

• Purchasing a $7,500 Everbridge Nixle Emergency Notification System Services unit. Annual costs to continue with the system is $7,500. 911 funds would be used to buy the system that will allow notifications to be sent to subscribers, or area wide with the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

Subscriber notification would be through landline, e-mail, cell phone or text message. IPAWS notification would be via outdoor warning systems, weather radios, Emergency Alert (TV, radio or cable) Systems, or cell phones.

The proposal for CodeRED emergency management notification system service is $8,450 annually.

• Appointing Commissioners Simonsen and Windschitl plus Auditor-Treasurer Prochniak to the Brown County Elections Committee. Commissioner Dennis Potter would serve as an alternate. The committee wold establish parameters for election statutes and direction for future equipment purchases.

• Patrick Sturm’s petition to outlet into County Ditch 28, appoint viewers and ensure all incurred costs are paid by the petitioner. No bond is required. Currently, 43.5 acres of paying benefits into CD 28.

• Establish a public hearing date of 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 7 at the Springfield Community Center to consider Bruce Moe’s petition to outlet into Judicial Ditch 12 B&R.

• Consider the petition of Linda Kunz, Ignatia Peterson and Timothy Peterson to abandon a ditch crossing on JD 14 B&W. Landowners ask that the ditch authority remove a crossing and culvert and will not be responsible for replacing it and that the crossing is abandoned and obsolete.

• Redetermination of benefits on several drainage systems. The Freeborn Group of ditch viewers increased the hourly viewing rate from $40 to $45. On Jan. 24, the drainage committee reviewed systems to be worked on in 2017.

Systems selected for this round are CD 74, Imp. 03, Lat A & B to CD 11, 70, Lat 4 & 5 to CD 58, 67, CD 58, 71, Imp 11 and CD 68.

• Purchasing a reclaimer to be mounted on an existing Brown County Highway Dept. tractor. The highway dept. recommends the $6,887.25 low bid from Tiger Corporation. The other bid was $7,472 from Ziegler Inc.

• Set an informational meeting of 5 to 7 p.m., Monday March 6 at the Hanska Community Center for shoulder widening on CSAH 6 & 13.

• Planning Commission recommendations.

• Rental bids for 32 acres of new land recently purchased for landfill property. Annual rates for three years are Mitch Beranek $6,019; Kurt Goblirsch $5,333; William Berg $5,100; Myron Mohr $4,560; Greg Sondag $4,210.40; Pierson Farms $3,803.75; and Blll and Ryan Hoffmann $3,222.40. The Solid Waste/Landfill office recommends the high bid.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21 in the Brown County Courthouse commissioner’s room.

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