As the Bedford County Board of Supervisors consider long-term solid waste costs and challenges, the potential return of decal stickers for county residents accessing solid waste disposal sites received heavy discussion at a work session. The board received a staff report on two cost comparisons for solid waste, one for transferring solid waste outside of the county and the other on expanding the landfill. The transfer option is estimated at $106.8 million over a 20-year cycle while the landfilling option is projected at $148.2 million over the same period, according to county documents.
Neither option addresses the county’s existing $2.3 million annual deficit in solid waste operations, the report states. The board agreed by consensus during the work session to wait until a new assistant county administrator, a position currently being advertised, is filled in coming weeks to get more staff oversight and play a major role in the planning process.
Meanwhile, a decal program is being considered as an enforcement mechanism at solid waste collection sites where illegal dumping from out-of-county residents, particularly at the Forest center on U.S. 221 in close proximity to the Gables of Jefferson Commons neighborhood. District 4 Supervisor John Sharp said he is all for the decal but not a $50 sticker fee. He said $1.50 price should be enough to cover the costs. “This isn’t about getting revenue from the citizens,” Sharp said. “I don’t know any of us who had that intention.”