Interlocal Solid Waste Authority Has Failed To Honor Their Contract With Us But Demands We Continue With Them Because Of A Contract That Is Now Completely One Sided.
The fact is that ISWA broke their contract with the city/county by letting bids out separately instead of as whole, as has been done since the agreement was begun.
One of the first statements on their website is their "mission statement" that states, "The ISWA was formed out of the Solid Waste Act of 1991 to share disposal cost and to educate the region of Franklin, Lincoln, Giles, Moore, Bedford, and the city of Tullahoma.
This was the first time some one got the bright idea of splitting the members, against their charter, up and seeking bids for individual entities. Well one thing is very clear if they break the contract then they have no power to hold us to that contract. If each member is to be treated as an individual then what is the point of paying these people membership fees and not have them do anything for us? According to their stance on the contract we as a county are bound without benefit to them for eternity or until all the other members vote to allow us out.
ISWA not is imposing a last minute demand that will result in charges more than doubling per ton for disposal making us the highest payer under their authority.
I must say that both Mrs Vanzant, Mayor Ford and Mr Harrison are doing the best they can with what they have so far.
This came about as a result of ISWA wanting to buy the three transfer station assets and then lease the land for a total of over one million dollars. Each member is being required to back a loan through a bank and Duck River Cooperative to the tune of $200,000.00 each this is after the grant is deducted.
As a frequent critic of our County Executive I was very impressed with her handling of the situation so far. It was her demand that ISWA show a financial statement before the matter would even be considered that stopped to bulldozer at least momentarily, and I believe it will be additional research by the County Attorney Mr. Dunnavant that will prove ISWA broke the contract and frees us from the absurdity we have been pushed into.
One of the first statements on their website is their "mission statement" that states, "The ISWA was formed out of the Solid Waste Act of 1991 to share disposal cost and to educate the region of Franklin, Lincoln, Giles, Moore, Bedford, and the city of Tullahoma.
This was the first time some one got the bright idea of splitting the members, against their charter, up and seeking bids for individual entities. Well one thing is very clear if they break the contract then they have no power to hold us to that contract. If each member is to be treated as an individual then what is the point of paying these people membership fees and not have them do anything for us? According to their stance on the contract we as a county are bound without benefit to them for eternity or until all the other members vote to allow us out.
ISWA not is imposing a last minute demand that will result in charges more than doubling per ton for disposal making us the highest payer under their authority.
I must say that both Mrs Vanzant, Mayor Ford and Mr Harrison are doing the best they can with what they have so far.
This came about as a result of ISWA wanting to buy the three transfer station assets and then lease the land for a total of over one million dollars. Each member is being required to back a loan through a bank and Duck River Cooperative to the tune of $200,000.00 each this is after the grant is deducted.
As a frequent critic of our County Executive I was very impressed with her handling of the situation so far. It was her demand that ISWA show a financial statement before the matter would even be considered that stopped to bulldozer at least momentarily, and I believe it will be additional research by the County Attorney Mr. Dunnavant that will prove ISWA broke the contract and frees us from the absurdity we have been pushed into.
posted by Allen Barrett | 4:20 PM
36 Comments:
When does the current contract between ISWA and Giles County expire? Also, how long has the county known about these changes ISWA is wanting?
Do we have representatives from this county on the ISWA board and if so who are they.
The contract expires April 1 and the county found out last week. Mrs. Vanzant and Commissioner Campbell are on the board, but the board didn't find out about the increases until last week either. Just the ones negotiating knew about it.
Front page of the Citizen wrote that Campbell and Watson are on the ISWA board. Campbell and Watson knew that the prices were going sky high but did not know the actual cost. But they did report this to someone else?
Other Counties were informed as early as August as to a large rate increase pending. Where are the minutes of the ISWA meetings?
Campbell and Watson combined don't have a clue about they are doing much less what others are doing.
Watson continues to do nothing in his job but get paid while the county continues to lose money with no recycling system.
Campbell and Watson are the board members. Not Vanzant. Vanzant didnt know about the increase until last week.They should have reported the enormous rate increase after the June meeting when they attended the meeting and all counties were told of the increase. Giles County and Cities need a good recycle program. Garbage rates are about to skyrocket due to the screwing ISWA is going to give us. Ask Campbell and Watson about it. Only they know for sure. They were there at the meeting.
IF Watson keeps his job then he did tell Vanzant its that simple.
I suspect that Dan Watson was so busy writing his BS column for the newspaper (at $35,000 per year) that he did not have time to tell anyone about the rate increase. Tommy Campbell knows more than anyone else, therefore he sees no reason to speak to anyone who he considers a lesser person than he.
People: the board was not told about the increase until last week. Read the ISWA minutes. They say there's going to be an increase, but they don't say how much. Terry Harrison said a couple of months ago he thought it was going to go up 25%. No one knew how much it was going up until last week.
The Board knew there would be a huge increase as soon as they opened the bids, they knew or should have known as soon as they decided to break the contract and bid each member separately instead of as a whole the way it was organized to do and had been done for twenty years.
There is plenty blame to go around but the focus needs to be on stopping ISWA from holding us hostage to their careless incompetence and violation of the contract..
Focus also needs to be on County employee Dan Watson and County Commissioner Tommy Campbell, both members of the ISWA Board and supposedly representing Giles County, both having knowledge they chose not to share with the county. Campbell has been Chairman of the Giles county Environmental Committee for several years too many, time for him to be replaced by a commissioner who would take the position seriously. A poster above wrote about the lack of work Watson does as a County employee, whose supervisor is the County Executive. His job should be eliminated especially since his reports to the state are done in the Financial Management office. Do these two get paid to attend the ISWA meetings and do the county taxpayers pay their travel expense?
Yes, the pay is One Hundred Dollars for attending a ISWA meeting. The Mayor of Elkton attends as a non member and does not get paid.
Dan Watson does not do enough to justify what the county taxpayers are paying him. Mrs. Vanzant needs to rethink this position and do something about it.
You are exactly right 11:17. Especially since I have learned that the Finance Dept is actually the ones doing the reporting for him (Watson). I agree that Mrs. Vanzant and the Commissioners need to rethink this position and put his salary on something more needed.
Watson has been feeding off the County for over 15 years and there is no way that Vanzant will eliminate his job. $35,000 per year plus benefits means that Watson has cost taxpayers over $625,000 for those 15 years.
If Watson has received what is stated; this County has been ripped off by him and the County Executive by allowing him to be paid for no work done. According to the County web site; Watson maintains the County Historical Records. What doe that have to do with Solid Waste Management?
Form the "OFFICIAL" County web site .........
Solid Waste Coordinator
Location:
1 Public Square
Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Phone:
931-424-7035
All County records from 1810 to 1900 are stored in this department. They cover Deeds, wills, marriages, census, family files and research books. We also have records from the Chancery, County and Circuit Courts.
So does this make three people working in the Old Records Department? Way too many people and money spent there.
Who knows? It is very obvious that all is well with Giles County, nothing is out of place and nothing is wrong. So long as no one seeks the truth and is willing to dig into every aspect of this local government (thereby pissing off those who do not want to be pissed off) the average citizen will never know.
Actually .... the average citizen doesn't care because it requires dedication and effort to dig up the truth.
Oh we care alright. That is our money being pissed away!
Everyone around here is always looking to blame someone and never take accountability for anything. Just think how great it could be if people worked together but in this County you will not see that happen. Too many egos that are just warning seats and getting paid! Vanzant is one of them but the most sad part is, I voted for her. This time around my eyes have opened wide along with others.
You will continue to support the the embedded system that has been established in this county since its inception. You cannot help yourself. It's like a deep hypnotic trance that you are under. The Dixiecrats have subliminally embedded this into your mindset.
The only way out is a county charter government with established term limits for the county mayor and county commissioners, reducing the number of county commissioners to two per district and the popular election of the county's director of schools and school board.
Would agree with that. Are the people who read this blog ready to try for a Charter again and are they willing to be involved in gathering signatures which is the first step in the process?
I would be happy to gather signatures. I explained it to several voters last time and a majority said they liked it. It only makes sense. Why would you keep the same, tired, career politicians when the only things they are willing to try aren't working? It's only common sense.
joebewan
The former Charter lost because of the disinformation and out right lies spread by the county government at that time.
Those who have been in power do not to give up any of that power and they will do whatever it takes to retain their grip on the money and power.
To win a Charter will require a concentrated effort by all, not just a few.
2:55 You are exactly right. Are you willing to help gather signatures? 10:55 said they would and so would I.
Maybe WAB would start a new thread to see what the interest is and how many volunteer.
It might take a couple (or more) attempts to get a Charter in Giles county but the more people get educated about the benefits the more chance there is of a Charter passing. If this does happen again and Charter Commissioners are elected to write the charter, surely it wouldn't be so much work as having to start from scratch. Not everything written would be pleasing to everyone but it would at least be an improvement on what we have now - governed by the State! There were a couple of things in the last Charter that I did not care for but it was not enough to stop me for voting for it. Where are you WAB? What do you think about getting something going again? Need a response from a lot more people, not just a handful to do the work.
People don't want to do the work because they know it is bullshit and a waste of time. Learn to get along and appreciate government for what it is. Quit trying to change things for a small amount of folks that can't get their way. Thinking you are smarter than everyone doesn't make it so.
Remember the Rebs lost the war. Was it because of your way of thinking?
Johnny Reb
If you are so smart you would know that a petition of voter's signatures is only the first step in getting an issue on the ballot. Then the VOTERS decide either way. At least it gives everyone in the county an opportunity to decide what THEY want. It is nothing to do with what a small amount of people want.
The charter lost because of the lies told and charter commissioners that were there to make sure it failed.
NO CHARTER EVER FOR GILES COUNTY..
The Rebs may have lost the war, but they put up a good fight, just like the ones for the charter are doing.
When someone don't want their family or friends out of office they sure fight to keep the charter out.
Voters showed "I'm a commissioner what you going to do about it," what they could do.
Maybe a charter would help Giles County and get Vanzant out.
It really warms my heart to know that our superior County Executive is well in control of our solid waste predicament; especially since it seems that our Solid Waste Management Director, the exulted Mr. Watson is providing expert guidance and advice.
Just proves that his salary for the past 15 years, at least, has been money well spent.
When will Watson get fired?
When vanzant's gone.
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