Commissioners set deadline for use of Fairgrounds for recycling

By Michael Howell –

At a meeting last Thursday, the Ravalli County Commissioners set a deadline of November 1, 2011 for Ravalli Recycling Inc. to vacate the Fairgrounds. The newly formed non-profit company has been working along with Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers collecting recyclables at the Fairgrounds one day a week on a temporary basis for over a year. So far the group has removed over one and a half tons of aluminum cans, two tons of plastic jugs and bottles and one ton of steel cans from the waste stream in Ravalli County. In 2011, over 19 tons of paper has been recycled so far.
Without notifying the groups involved, the Commissioners placed an item on their agenda to discuss and decide on “dis-allowing permanent use of the Fairgrounds for recycling purposes.”
The Ravalli County Fair Board has consistently supported the temporary use of the Fairgrounds for the project, as did the county commissioners, with the caveat that the recycling effort would not expand its use beyond the current collection process and did not use county buildings on the grounds while it looked for a permanent home. The Fair Board also agreed to the temporary storage of a compactor on the Fairgrounds, but not its use.
Ravalli Recycling recently received a $60,000 grant from the state to support its recycling program. The former County Commission passed a resolution in support of the efforts last December. The grant came with two conditions attached, that the recycling company establish a permanent location and obtain a baler for compacting prior to release of the grant funds.
Commission Chair J.R. Iman explained that the grant had been awarded and that the county, which had ten days from the time of approval to accept the funds, had asked and received a waiver from the state on that timeline.
Commissioner Matt Kanenwisher said that in his opinion the Fairgrounds was not the appropriate place for a recycling center.
“I don’t want to see this temporary use go on endlessly,” he said. He suggested that August 18, prior to the County Fair, should be the last day for the recycling operation at the Fairgrounds.
Commissioner Suzy Foss said that she was concerned because there was no line item for purchase of a location site in the business plan submitted with the grant request. She wondered if the project was feasible.
Commissioner Ron Stoltz said that the commission emphasized that the company needed to find a permanent place when it agreed to support the grant. He said the Board was being ignored and that the recycling group should be out of the Fairgrounds by July 1.
Foss agreed that there seemed to be no forward motion by the group and that the plans were too vague. ‘
“There seems to be no reality to it and you have not provided one thing to address our biggest concerns,” said Foss.
Iman stated that information provided by the recycling group has been limited. But, he said, the group should be given reasonable time to respond to the grant of $60,000, which came to less than the original request for $100,000, by producing a revised business plan. He said there had been no conflict between the Fairground’s operations and the recycling efforts to date and recommended a fall deadline for vacating the Fairgrounds.
“I agree 100 percent with the Board that it should not go through the winter,” said Iman.
Lee Scharff, Chairman of the Fair Board, said that the Fair Board had a responsibility to help the community and that it felt recycling was an important issue. He said that letting the group use the Fairgrounds on a temporary basis was a good move and that the project had been working well. He said the Board did vote 5 to 1 to close the operation during the County Fair from August 18 to September 6 when the recycling efforts could resume. He said the Board had no intention of allowing the use of the grounds on a permanent basis.
Ravalli Recycling Inc. board member Bob Scott told the commissioners that his group had received a used baler, worth about $40,000, from a recycling center in Kalispell that is upgrading. He said the group was also working on the second requirement of finding a permanent site. He said the group had an anonymous donor that was willing to help with the purchase of a permanent site and that the group was working on the possible purchase of the old Massa site in Hamilton.
Doug Soehren, also a member of the recycling company, said that his group did pursue the possibility of a permanent home at the Fairgrounds as part of the Fair Board’s solicitation for public input for a Grand Plan for use of the Fairgrounds. He said they understood now that this was not a possibility and they were working on purchasing another location.
Soehren said that the site currently under consideration was under foreclosure and presented a complicated scenario. He said his group was working with the City of Hamilton and the bank involved in the foreclosure, but that the deal was also complicated by the involvement of the railroad. He said right now the lease with the railroad was a big item, the price of the property was not clear, but work towards the purchase was moving forward.
“We would like as much time as possible to complete this deal,” said Soehren.
Kanenwisher responded, saying that he was concerned that there was no business plan based on the amount of the grant or other funds and no provision for purchase or lease of a permanent location.
“I don’t feel like the application was appropriate,” said Kanenwisher. “I don’t believe it’s going to work. It will vaporize. I don’t support a request for public funds for a project that’s going to vaporize.” He said he was looking for a final date for use of the Fairgrounds.
Foss agreed, saying that there was “nothing to compel me to believe that you will last for more than two months.”
Stoltz said that he did not believe the group had a plan to go private.
“Your plan is to use the Fairgrounds,” said Stoltz.
Kanenwisher moved to set a deadline of November 1 for the company to vacate the Fairgrounds except for temporary storage of the baler. The motion was approved unanimously.