County commissioners continue to grapple with the best way to keep out-of-county waste out of the convenience centers. At a workshop last week to review sanitation bids for the coming year, County Executive Mike Stinnett said he needs guidance on how to handle the number of calls he has gotten recently.

Stinnett said the attendants have been cracking down and he is getting calls from people with out-of-county license plates who have not been allowed to dump their trash, especially at the Grassy Creek site which is just outside Fannin County, where there is a charge for dumping even by residents. He said he is being asked for letters giving exceptions to the rule established by the commission.

There are some legitimate reasons to allow dumping by people without a Polk County license plate, he said, such as cabin owners, but he questioned requests by people who just own property in the county. Commissioners said the convenience centers should be used only for trash generated in the county, but the problem is providing proof for those who do not have a local tag. Property tax receipts, he noted, could be used by those who neither live in the county or have a second home here.

Kevin Stephens suggested issuing stickers or cards, and Daren Waters agreed, adding there should be a minimum charge for the sticker for all users. He said that would help defray the costs -- which could be around $420,000 next year -- and would also require residents who do not own property to make a payment. Stinnett said any residents can get a Polk County sticker for their license plates.

Greg Brooks said a card can be handed to non-residents. He said the rule should be simple: no car tag, no dumping. Mark Bishop said they could use a permit with a picture on it. Pippenger said they might use stickers for those who do not have a local tag but are eligible to dump. He said he is looking into the cost of having video cameras at the convenience centers to take pictures of the license tags.

No recommendation was made but Stinnett said they need to come up with a plan. The commission has long felt that the dumping stations are being used by out of county residents, which is driving up the cost of the expensive service. Landfill fees, which are based on weight, are a part of the contract.

There were two bidders for the convenience center contract for operating the convenience center and hauling 7,500 tons of trash to a landfill, with additional payment over that amount.

Waste Connections of Tennessee bid $35,802/month for a three-year contract and $34,552/month for a five-year contract, with yearly cost-of-living adjustments and also a fuel surcharge if the cost of diesel fuel reaches certain levels. Waste Connections’ bid increased the volume before the additional charge would kick in.

Waste Services, which currently has the contract, bid $34,700/month for a three-year contract with no fuel surcharge or consumer price index increase.