Local news

CCSWA board discuss drafted 2024 budget

McELHATTAN -- The Solid Waste Authority board discussed its proposed 2024 budget -- which includes an over $300,000 deficit.

During the discussion, the board motioned to approve a 10 percent Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase and a three percent rate hike for haulers.

A CPI is an index of the variation in prices paid by typical consumers for retail goods and other items.

The budget discussion was dependent on the $372,000 deficit for 2024, according to Marci Orndorf.

"We have about a $372,000 deficit looking into next year... We had discussed starting the budget process earlier, so we'd be able to basically back into what we would need for a rate increase if we would need one. Basically where we stand right now, the revenue numbers that are in here (draft budget) may adjust some things a little bit," she said.

The authority has to cover the deficit with either a rate increase or a revenue increase. The drafted budget includes revenue numbers/accounts that are not directly linked to a rate of increase.

Orndorf said that could see revenue with health insurance reimbursements.

The CPI is planned to be locked from Jan. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024.

"We are probably going to see something next year, we don't have anything in the budget yet. We can add some revenue there, so there are a few places, but that number is basically how we can cover it after we have run a couple of different scenarios that we had talked about, conceptually locking the CPI in at least for the first six months of the year. It really helps the haulers to know what their rate structure is going to be, and be able to communicate that out to their customers as well," she explained.

Once the first six months of the year wrap-up, a three percent rate increase will be implemented across Clinton, Lycoming and Centre counties. The coupling of the CPI increase and three percent rate hike will allegedly help reach the deficit.

For the health insurance side, Orndorf said the authority will start with a 25 percent rate increase for employees. They will, however, not have exact numbers until October.

"Our thoughts are if we could agree on the concept of the 3 percent rate hike and the 10 percent CPI for the first six months of the year then that at least gives us the opportunity if something is going crazy, we will at least have a chance to try and adjust something," general manager, Jay Alexander said.

A motion was made by board member Brian Hoy to do a 10 percent surcharge and 3 percent rate increase and was seconded by board member Bruce Peters, of JJ Peters Disposal, Inc. The motion was unanimously approved by the rest of the board. There is also a three percent cost of living increase budgeted for 2024, according to Orndorf.

In other business, there is an update on the new landfill zones six and seven.

WTL supervisor Joe Weise took The Express to the zones where construction is underway. According to him, the liner should be placed down around November.

The landfill will be able to start filling trash, pending inspection approval by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

In total, it cost the landfill about $1.3 million to purchase the liner materials for the zones, according to Alexander back in May.

They purchased $380,000 worth of coverstone from Hawbaker that will be covering the bottom layer.

Landfill employees are finishing the bottom layer with stone and necessary pipework for the leachate (collection of water that filters through waste placed in a landfill).