A new solid waste convenience center in the Little Milligan community is one step closer to being completed, but there is still much work to be done before it can open.
“We still lack quite a bit in getting it done,” said Landfill Manager Benny Lyons.
The building for the new center has been ordered and is scheduled to be delivered this week, Lyons said, adding once the wooden building is set up, work must begin to get it ready for operation.
“It is unfinished on the inside, so we will have to go in and hang sheet rock and insulate it and put the bathroom in it,” Lyons said, adding the building will also have to be wired for electricity.
In addition to finishing the building, there are other site preparations that will need to be made.
“We’ve got to pour two concrete pads and pave the area where people will drive up,” he said. “The concrete pads are for the dumpsters to sit on so they don’t sink into the ground.”
The new convenience center will be located on Highway 321 in the Little Milligan community approximately 100 yards from the intersection of Highway 321 and Highway 67, Lyons said. The new site will replace the existing convenience center currently located in Elk Mills.
Plans for completion have been on hold due to funding issues. But during the 2014-2015 budget cycle, the County Commission voted 19-3 to allocate $100,000 from the county’s fund balance to the landfill.
However, the funds came with some stipulations from the Commission – Lyons was directed to first purchase a new roll-off truck for the landfill and then use whatever money remained for the new center.
Lyons had been persistent in letting the budget and landfill committees know of the need for a roll-off truck for daily operations at the landfill, addressing the groups several times regarding the issue. Without the roll-off truck, he said the county wouldn’t be able to continue operations of its two convenience centers – which are currently located in Elk Mills and Roan Mountain.
Prior to the purchase of a new truck, the roll-off owned by the county had approximately 1.3 million miles on it and was frequently in need of repairs. The truck Lyons was recently able to purchase cost $89,250. After the purchase, Lyons said some retrofitting was needed on five of the county’s dumpsters to make them compatible with the new truck.
The purchase of the new truck opened the way for work to continue on the new convenience center. Lyons estimated approximately $4,700 remained of the original $100,000 to pay for the concrete, paving and building preparations which are needed to complete the site. During a meeting of the Landfill Committee last week, Lyons said he fears the department may run out of money before the center can be completed.