Trash money a good deal?

News of Monday’s special meeting to entertain an offer to purchase the Sallisaw Landfill Facility and trash service took me by surprise. If you can call a dump a crown jewel, Sallisaw’s 1,200-acre facility would be one.

Of course, the actual dump site is a fraction of the 1,200 acres, but the acreage gives us all a buffer from the site and allows for expansion. City Manager Keith Skelton estimated the landfill site could be used for 80 years at our current tonnage. That tonnage includes some out-of-town dumpers, like LeFlore County. Those customers help pay the bills.

With any business there is always a give and take between making money and investing in the future. The government regulations for operations, studies, fees and money that has to be held to cover liabilities can make owning the landfill a tenuous opportunity. All this is causing our city commissioners to take a serious look at the $20 million plus offer from Cards Recycling. The offer was unsolicited, so it is unknown whether this offer is a fair price or not.

But the money is only part of the deal. I have questions about how much of the 1,200 acres Cards should be sold. At one time part of that land was going to be used to site a power plant. The power plant didn’t materialize, but it is still a good industrial site.

How would rates be kept under control for trash collection and dumping by city residents?

What safeguards are in place to make sure future owners maintain the site in accordance with all laws, regulations, etc.?

How fast will the landfill be used up with more cities and towns hauling trash to the site?

Have the regulations and costs to operate a landfill gotten so high that the city can no longer count on a good return on its investment in the future, making now a good time to sell?

Sallisaw is a unique place where the municipal government owns the water, sewer, electric, internet, trash removal and landfill. The only utility not owned is natural gas.

Sallisaw is very good at operating these utilities. Profits from the services enhances our quality of life and helps us maintain control of their price and delivery. To give up one, it should be a great deal for the city.

If you are interested in this proposal, I recommend you attend the public hearing this Monday at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers at 113 N. Elm Street.