109 Board and Fiscal Court connect By JOE REDMON The Meade County Solid Waste & Recycle (MCSW&R) liaison committee, consisting of 109 Board members Mark Hubbard, Shannon Loose, and Heber Burchett met, Oct. 5 with Magistrates Herbie Chism and Harold Davidson to discuss fiscal and operational matters. 109 Board Chairman Bim Wardrip attended as an observer. Loose initiated the discussion by pointing out the 109 Board had proactively streamlined operations while more effectively collecting accounts payable. MCSW&R staff Gayle Parr provided evidence the policy change of billing owners of record rather than renters had been successful. All agreed this had a positive financial effect on the MCSW&R operations. Loose further pointed out that while the 109 Board had requested a monthly rate of $15.50 earlier in the year, Fiscal Court had granted only $12.50. Magistrate Davidson remembered that event a little differently, stating that when asked what the 109 Board could get by with, the answer was given to Fiscal Court as $12.50. There was then general agreement not to point fingers, but work to fix it now. The members then discussed ways to operate the MCSW&R more efficiently, including changing schedules from four 10-hour days to five eight-hour days, providing each driver with two trucks, a primary and a backup. According to MCSW&R Coordinator Mark Gossett, this would eliminate one driver position. He also stated that trucks had been assigned to individual drivers, providing continuity in operations and maintenance. After discussion ensued remarking that the books look pretty good now, MCSW&R treasurer Wanda Terrell presented records of collections of a year ago, showing dollar input falling off vastly over the last quarter of the calendar year. She commented there could be trouble meeting payroll at the end of this year. The 109 Board members then confided that an increase would probably be needed, but were unsure of the amount and that any increase would need to be documented. Magistrates Chism and Davidson agreed. The liaison committees agreed to meet again, after the election on Nov. 7.
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