- So I'd like to call to order this joint meeting of the Board of Directors of the Waste Reduction District
- of Monroe County and the Citizen Advisory Commission of the Waste Reduction District of Monroe County
- for July 9th, 2026 at 4.46 p.m. We do have an amended agenda on the website. And the first order of
- business is Board of Directors attendance roll call.
- So, Mr. Lawson. Piedmont Smith. Thomas. Yes. Wilts. Yes. Jones. Ellis. Here. Thompson. Here. Madera.
- Here. You have a quorum, all present in the room. Thank you.
- have a battery in there I don't know all right the CAC will do a roll call Matt Austin Brad Lucas here
- Joe Sears Jake Youngblood Allison Sears Elizabeth Carter and the CAC as a quorum wonderful
- So moving to the heart of today's business is the waste reduction district budget. Twenty twenty seven
- budget proposals. I believe first up is a twenty twenty seven operating fund budget proposal. Yeah. So the
- In the joint meeting packet, starting on page two, memo kind of summarizing the basis of predominantly
- the operating budget, but of all the three budgets and some of the significant changes, increases or
- decreases from the current year budget to what's proposed for next year.
- So you would note the state budgeting agency did publish a 6% growth quotient. So that is factored into
- the property tax revenue.
- The excise, the two vehicle and the commercial excise tax, those are estimated as indicated in the memo.
- We have our budget workshop with DLGF scheduled for July 17th, and we will get numbers from them to
- move forward with. So there may be between now and when it's presented for a vote in August, there may
- be some slight changes to that. And just in the essence of time,
- We'll jump right in, I guess. So the first slide just kind of gives you an overview from 26 to what's
- proposed for 27 for the various revenue categories. You can see at the bottom line we're projecting
- a little over a $41,000 increase in revenues, the bulk of that being from the growth quotient property
- tax revenue increase.
- In the expense categories, the bottom line of just about the same, slightly higher total increase in
- expenses of $41,753. Getting into the detail of that and I'm in the essence of time, I'm going to go
- through this pretty quick. Please stop me if you have any questions, either board members or CAC members.
- So again, for the tax lines, we went over that. The 6 percent growth quotient, the excise taxes are
- estimated. The only real big significant change here would be in the orange bag sales, just based on,
- you know, trends over recent years and where we are year to date. We're not going to meet that projected
- revenue total for 26, so we did drop that down.
- a little bit, and then I guess the GBN comes up 7,000, and you can see in the comparison spreadsheet
- or the 26 budget status that's included in the packet, that's in line with where we are year to date
- this year, and that's based on our current membership.
- Again, another one, the host fee dropped about $20,000. That's just based on what we've seen over the
- recent years and where we are here to date. And another decrease in interest rates, unfortunately, have
- come down from where we've been in recent years. And based on what we're trending to in 26, we had to
- drop that some.
- question on the operating budget comparison. 2026 shows 7,000. 2027 is 8,000. And it says it's a $2,000
- decrease. Not seen. My spreadsheets have been known to have errors. And I'm sorry, where were you on
- that again? It is on page 5.
- Second, I guess, second, what do you call this? Grid? The second slide? Yes, second grid, yeah. Under
- paint disposal. Yeah. Yeah, that's going to be a typo.
- Yeah, that's the seven thousand for this year is correct. And eight thousand is what is proposed for
- twenty seven. So the difference is a typo. Just didn't want that to make it into the gateway. And again,
- we won't be finalized till after our budget workshop. Gotcha. And then
- The two sale of OCC recycling, sale of paper recycling, there are significant drops, but they're really,
- they're corrections. In 2026, we budgeted that. We had entering into a new agreement with RUMKEY where
- they were gonna give us a rebate on that material that we have not received in some time. And I guess, you know,
- The market has changed some since, you know, those budget projections were put together. Volumes have
- changed some. And so that's just really, you know, a correction for what we're actually seeing,
- you know, having about a year of experience now working with Rumpke on that.
- A new one on there. We did a line for grant funds for the past two years. We have applied for and received
- a waste tire grant from ITEM in the amount of $10,000. I've had tire amnesty events that I believe two
- to this point that have been very successful. And I think I apologize. We did the department reports
- got tabled. I believe the
- The event we did in May, we had some data available for that, and we can certainly present that next
- month. But the event we did this May brought in more tires than what we did last fall. And we're looking
- at doing another event in late August, early September of this year. I plan to pursue a grant again
- next year and continue to do those. As long as the volume of tires is there, we'll pursue that grant
- and continue to do those events.
- All right. So in the personnel services category, moving on, I guess, over to the expenses, salaries
- and wages, we do have a 3.5 percent wage increase in this post in this budget that is based on the CPI
- wage earner index that we have historically used for 26 over 25.
- And also proposing office manager position currently is budgeted and scheduled for 30 hours a week,
- asking to move that up to 35 hours a week. The workload is there to justify that. And it would certainly
- help the office to have those extra five hours a week from that position. Health insurance, it actually
- came down quite a bit, but it is an estimate.
- We can't get renewal quotes on that until late October, early November, because it's a January 1st renewal.
- But based on what we've done this year to date, what we project our enrollment for next year to be,
- and kind of estimating a 10 percent rate increase, the amount you'll see is what we calculated.
- So there are the top two lines. You see the wages with the two increases. You get into the FICA and
- the Medicare. Those increases are directly rated to the wage increases. There you see the health insurance.
- Still it is a significant drop, $70,000 in that line with what we calculated. One thing you will see,
- we did have
- one employee in the health savings account plan that has dropped off. So we are some of the turnover
- that we have had. We have lost some people that were on the insurance and they have been replaced by
- people that aren't taking the insurance because they have other means of coverage.
- You know, on this on this page, I think the road based material is the only significant increase. And
- that's just we've got some work that needs to be done at our rural sites and on some of the roads at
- the landfill. And those are all all gravel. And, you know, we're just cost are going up. So we're trying
- to appropriate more money to have the funds available to get the work done that needs to be done.
- Nothing significant on this page. The consultant line, $22,000 drop, but that's, if you'll recall, beginning
- of this year, the one sustainable Joe that was doing our Back to Earth program, our apartment composting
- moved and kind of turned that over to us, so we're managing that in-house now.
- Uh, did increase, uh, the grant program by $10,000. Uh, just when we got through the rest of the budget
- lines, there was, uh, potential funds available to offer up more money for next year. I would certainly
- give us cause to be more proactive and pushing and promoting that program as we got toward the end of
- this year. I have, I have a question on this slide if I might. Sure. Okay. Um, the groundwater well survey.
- $2,000 increase. Is that just an additional survey or is that the cost has increased? It's an additional
- survey. It's a survey that we do every three years, I believe, and that is at items request. We do have
- things are moving out there. So the the top of what's called the top of casing elevation of our groundwater
- wells are is moving.
- And so item is asked that we regularly survey those to reestablish the topic casing to confirm that
- we're getting accurate groundwater elevation data. Okay. Thank you.
- And so then this one, we are asking for a $5,000 increase in media advertising. We'd like to look to
- increase our presence on some additional platforms from what we're currently doing. There's things other
- than radio and TV out there that we think we need to be more visible on, so. That does not include social
- media, right, because that's the previous line for that.
- So yeah, there was a previous line for doing. Yeah, this is more traditional advertising media. Yeah.
- Big increase in the liability line, but that is, as most of you, I think, are aware. And Mr. Ellis,
- for your benefit, we at the landfill were required to have a pollution prevention policy, and that is
- a three year term. And that will be up for renewal next December or December of twenty twenty seven. And
- hefty price tag because it's a three-year policy. The water and sewer, I think we all know that the
- CBU recently got a rate increase, so we're anticipating higher water bill than we've had in recent years.
- Vehicle repair and maintenance went up. That's just kind of based on experience that we've had in recent
- years and year to date. Same with machinery and equipment repair and maintenance. Snow removal gets
- zeroed out. If you'll recall, we did purchase snow plows and we've brought that in-house with our own
- equipment. And the Bethel Lane site lease has an annual 5% increase in that.
- So machinery increment rental is going up. This is something we've been having some discussions with
- the executive committee. Our equipment is aging well past what the industry standard is for useful life.
- And we are talking with potential vendors, considering options to purchase, put it out for bid, renew
- with the current vendor.
- But at any rate, it is something that one way or another we need to start replacing that equipment and
- it's gonna cost us more money. And we get leachate disposal up 10,000. They're just, I think we're almost
- at $90,000 already this year.
- Right now is generally a dry time that we're not hauling in historically, but that's not where we're
- at. That's where the past few years have gone. So we just, we want to make sure we have funds available
- to manage that leachate if the volumes continue to stay where they are. HHW disposal going up. Again,
- I earlier referred to the most recent HHW bill that was $80,000.
- Unfortunately, in addition to the lithium ion batteries and the spray foam canisters, other costs are
- just going up like with everything else. We do have a good decrease in the hauling contract, $35,000.
- You can look at where we are year to date this year.
- You know, we're well under budget projection at this point for the year and we, you know, made some
- changes in the way that we, you know, manage the boxes on the sites and how and when that they're hauled
- and that's reducing the number of hauls. And we think that that cost will continue to stay down. The
- waste tire processing, you know, it goes up, but that's the grant. We put the grant funds in there.
- That's where that cost come from, comes from, excuse me. Recycling fees, you know, similar to where
- we were on the revenue side with the cardboard and the paper revenue, that's the recycling fees are
- all the plastics that we collect and, you know, it was budgeted conservatively going into 26 with the
- new contract with Rumpke and the year of experience shows us that we can probably
- You know, manage that at a lower dollar amount. For some reason, that's on there twice. I apologize.
- So. I'm sorry? The same as stormwater fees or? Stormwater fees is at the, it's the landfill. No, I'm
- saying it's on there twice. Oh, it's on there twice? Yeah. I apologize. Just want to make sure they're
- not added into the totals twice. Yeah.
- We will confirm that and try to have everything on there only once, I guess, before you vote. But I
- think the bolded totals at the bottom match my spreadsheet, so I don't think things are double counted
- there. I had math, but mileage may vary there. And then for capital outlays,
- The $10,000 other improvements is just that's we do this every year that is that is a landfill appropriation
- as adjusting case. If something were to happen out there where we had to rebuild a pump box,
- purchase a pump, we need the funds available to do that. Yes, ma'am. Have we used that this year? Not
- this year, no.
- The vehicle purchase zeros out. We don't have any vehicle purchases planned for 2027. And if you'll
- recall from the May meeting with our additional appropriation request, we're appropriating funds to
- continue to replace the aging inventory of roll-off boxes. And that wraps up the operating fund budget.
- I can go through the debt and capital real fast or if you would rather pause and have a discussion on
- the operating that is
- Board and CAC's call. Comments on the operating? Let's proceed with the 2027 service bond budget. CAC
- has questions. Oh, sorry. Any comments or questions on the operating or I can go through the other two
- and then we can look at them all and just you guys can discuss. All right, so the debt service bond.
- Our final payment is due in February. Yay. But unfortunately, the way that that all works out is that
- because the tax disbursements in June and December of 27 are there to cover the February payment,
- And I think we've discussed this previously because we're in the same position in 26. The operating
- fund is having to make temporary loans to the debt service fund because those payments come due and
- have to be made. In fact, we just approved one at the previous meeting. And so for 27, you know, we
- won't know the amount that needs to be loaned until we get the December tax disbursement.
- But it'll probably be a hefty amount because it's got to cover, the payment is going to be, the revenue
- for that payment is going to come in June and again in December. And the way the DLGF explained it last
- year, it will be under full tax disbursement. So we will get the December disbursement
- We will repay the currently outstanding temporary loan that was issued to cover the payment that was
- approved earlier. And then calculate how much we need to loan in January to cover the February payment.
- And all this will be discussed with DLGF on our meeting on the 17th. And they had indicated that that
- will all be taken into account when they determine the levy.
- for the debt service and that when we receive the December disbursement, that that fund should be made
- whole and the operating fund should be repaid. But at any rate, you see we have $136,485 is the final payment.
- The to be determined there under the proposed budget is that unknown, the amount that the operating
- fund will have to loan. And but it's going to be nice to be out from under that and moving forward.
- But that's, so that's where we sit on the debt service budget. The cumulative capital fund,
- You know, we do we'll have a beginning balance of just over a thousand dollars once the additional
- appropriation that was approved comes out of that, which is to replace the roof on the administration
- building. As we always do, it's a zero sum budget. DLGF has always advised us to go ahead and adopt
- the zero sum budget so that it's on file. So in the event that what we just went through happens,
- when we seek that additional appropriation, it eliminates a couple of steps in getting that processed
- by having the adopted budget on record. And then I would also note that, you know, the taxing units
- do have the option to budget for, you know, contributions on an annual basis to a mutual capital fund.
- And given that with the appropriation that we just did,
- that the balance of our cumulative capital fund is down around $1,000 that I think the board should
- consider whether or not it wants to transfer that money back to the operating fund and be done with
- the cumulative capital fund or is it something we want to look at trying to budget to rebuild that for
- any potential future projects or events?
- that takes care of the budgets. Any comments or questions from directors? Yes. I have what is probably
- a pretty dumb question. But the debt service is being paid from disbursements in 27 from these it looks like
- several taxes what happens to that tax revenue in 28 and 28 I'm not sure it goes away I believe it's
- a separate tax levy from you know our general operating fund tax levy from the county tax levy city
- tax it's a completely separate
- levy and it you know it doesn't it doesn't get to get absorbed by the district's operating fund or the
- county or the city or Ellisville or anybody is my knowledge so it goes away goes away and so for the
- excise tax commercial vehicle excise tax and presumably a component of county property tax will be a
- reduction and potentially seen by
- county residents. For property I believe so. One of the questions I'm glad you mentioned that because
- one of the questions I'm going to have for DLGF when we have our meeting that there was a recent change
- made regarding the excise taxes and they are not specific to any fund or purpose now that the unit I
- guess has more discretion in what those excise tax funds go to and so
- I need to clarify with TLGF if, you know, are the excise tax funds for operating and debt separate or
- are they split between the two funds because we have the debt service fund and so that's, you know,
- that and that's part of the reason that those numbers are estimated in the current budget projections
- and we'll get more clarity on that after our workshop on the 17th.
- I'm just very appreciative of all the work that Tom does to make this so clear and the fact his breadth
- of knowledge that enables him to really
- Once again, make this clear, I was surprised at the increase in the grant funds, and I think it would
- make sense to get back to the awardees and maybe have a social media post where each one is interviewed
- so that marketing, because what my experience has been with a two-year pilot program in a neighborhood
- with TerraCycle, I am really excited about the hefty, is that people need education.
- that education is very important. People need it over and over again. And back to the grant is that
- marketing will hopefully help other potential applicants see that, especially because with Will Detmer
- Community Gardens, with Wonder Lab, these entities that are already well known, I feel like that marketing
- is very important to get more applicants for next year, because then they can actually see the impact
- of the grant.
- So, but once again, thank you for all that you do and making this very clear for somebody who is not
- fiscally educated on this type of stuff. I'm wondering, just following along that same vein, if there
- could be credit to the grant program available
- that on site during a program or somehow available for, especially some place that has public visitation
- like Wonder Lab, could there be a little sign next to the barrel or, you know? There is a requirement
- in the grant program that, you know, materials purchased with the grant funds are to have the district's
- name attached to it, so.
- But not the idea about the grant specifically, and I think... A little yard signs? Is that what you
- mean? Like having a little yard sign out or something? Yeah, sure. Or stickers. Or eight and a half
- by 11 or, you know, it could be anything. I just think it's an opportunity. And we can certainly work
- with, you know, the awardees from this year and look at their projects and, you know, see what
- you know, what would make sense to help promote the grant program, you know, and the district, you know,
- being a part of getting this whatever project program they're doing going. The envision like this was
- provided by what grant and maybe a QR code so they can scan it and give them more information about
- the grant. Yeah, I got you. So just a note on that, that's going to cost extra money, which is not included
- in the grant at this point. I will say on the food waste funding agreement that happened last year with
- Garden Quest, they did have stickers on every single bucket that said the waste reduction district,
- and it did have a QR code, but that was more towards direction. So I think it's a great idea. But just
- once again, realize that those funds are not allotted.
- Right. Well, I think it would, you know, particularly when you're only talking about, you know, five
- grant recipients, it was, you know, it would be a minimal cost that I'm sure that the district could
- absorb. The comments, questions?
- Seeing that and with those items covered, I don't see any other items on our agenda. Thank you so much.