Dump the idea

So the DeKalb County Board authorized a finance plan in Dec. 2009 for major renovation of the county courthouse and the construction of a new county jail. If things stay according to schedule the sale of around $12-14 million in debt obligation bonds for the courthouse takes place in April 2010.

Then, if staff and stakeholder plans are followed, the same month the courthouse is completed (July 2011) plans for the new jail will begin. Up to $30 million in debt bonds for the jail could be sold in August 2011 unless a deal with Waste Management isn’t approved. If somehow the Board didn’t approve of that deal then the jail would have to go in front of the voters as a referendum in the 2012 elections. Good luck with that.

That deal with Waste Management would allow for expansion of the county landfill to handle an increased capacity from some 350 tons to more than 2,000 tons of garbage per day. That’s a 600% increase and its not due to growth in the county — the county could make $120 million in tipping fees from other northern Illinois communities, like Chicago for example, over the next 30 years.

Is it me or does it appear the County is being boxed into a corner to approve a potentially quality-of-life changing proposal to make DeKalb County the Capitol Dump of the Chicago Metropolitan Area? I don’t think you would be paranoid to ask why the projected revenue from a 600% increase in garbage is already pledged against debt bonds for capital improvements.

Don’t you think the Board ought to consider the ramifications of being the CMA Mega-Dump other than if they don’t pass it they’ll have to go to referendum to get the jail built AND the debt bonds sold this April for the courthouse will likely require a tax increase to repay?

What about the quality of Cortland’s breathing air?

How about the increase in truck traffic. Who’s going to pay for 1) improvements for a truck route from Peace Road to the dump and/or 2) another interchange on I-88 with truck routes to the dump?

Will having the Biggest Dump on the Block enhance or hurt property values?

Did the County get the best deal? Is it a win-win?

Well, maybe not.

April 2009 Town of Cortland Meeting Minutes (h/t mv)

Waste Management Discussion
Attorney Derke Price with Ancel, Glink, explained the landfill expansion approval process.  He stated that the State Mandated Solid Waste Management Facility Siting and Land Use Approval Process (SB172 Process) treats an expansion just like a new facility.  The State sets the Law and Standards (like the Judge) but the Local Government makes the decisions (like the Jury).  Only state specified criteria may be used to evaluate site appropriateness […]

[…] Attorney Price explained that the County would be the Host of this agreement.  Conditions can be imposed with the approval of the County for well protection, property value protection as well as enforcement of conditions.  Under the Solid Waste Management Plan that the County currently has (which is supposed to be reviewed every five years, and was not reviewed in 2005 and should already be under review for 2010) they should be sharing the solid waste and recycling, and education fee of $1.27 and they have not done this.  In the current Host Agreement that the County is considering rescinding the $1.27 and including it in the $4.60 which allow the County to spend it on anything they want.

Attorney Price had a comparison chart of the Host Agreement for Kendall County has with Waste Management and the final draft of the Agreement DeKalb County has.  Attorney Price showed that unlike Kendall County DeKalb County has no post closure protection, there is no agreement that would give DeKalb County approval before transferring any ownership rights for the landfill gas collection system, there is no protection to residents from risk of fire, there is no waste stream commitment. Kendal County has one mile of property value guarantee and well testing program, DeKalb County only gives half a mile of protection with no private cause for action, there is no county enforcement for performance standards, so residents would have to call the EPA to get any action from complaints, DeKalb County does not allow for recovery of legal fees if WMI defaults, DeKalb County does not require insurance, and there is nothing to obligate the County to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens by taking reasonable steps within its power to offer technical or socioeconomic advice to DeKalb County and WMI where appropriate.[…]

Action Steps:

click on the image above

Click on the image (right) to review and join the Stop the DeKalb County MegaDump group on Facebook to get more information and to get engaged.

Contact county board members and let them know your concerns with the megadump.

Sycamore, Genoa-Kingston-Kirkland, Sandwich-Somonauk, Hinckley-Waterman-Sandwich, Cortland Districts (County Board)

Larry A Anderson 1/R 11/30/2012
Malta, IL 60150
Home: 815-825-2143
e-mail: laadistrict1@yahoo.com

***Michael Stuckert, Sr 1/R 11/30/2010
Sycamore, IL 60115
Home/Work: 815-739-1340
e-mail: mjstuck@aol.com

J…ohn C Emerson 2/R 11/30/2012
Genoa IL 60135
Home: 815-784-2121
email: jandjemerson@gmail.com

***Michael Haines 2/D 11/30/2010
Kingston, IL 60145
Home: 815-784-3323
e-mail: mhaines@niu.edu

Riley N Oncken 3/R 11/30/2012
Sycamore IL 60178
e-mail: rno@yourlawsmith.com

***Kenneth Andersen 3/R 11/30/2010
Sycamore IL 60178
Home: 815-895-2565
e-mail: kenandersendist3@yahoo.com

Anita Jo Turner 4/D 1/30/2012
Sycamore, IL 60178
Home: 815-895-7507
email: anitajo1954@yahoo.com

***John Hulseberg 4/D 11/30/2010
Sycamore, IL 60178
Home: 815-895-3587
e-mail: hulseberg@comcast.net

Mark A Todd 11/R 11/30/2012
Waterman, IL 60556-0039
Home: 815-264-3394
email: markatodd2006@yahoo.com

***John Gudmunson 11/R 11/30/2010
Somonauk, IL 60552
Home: 815-498-2280
email: mlgudmunson@yahoo.com

Jeffery Metzger 12/R 11/30/2012
Sandwich, IL 60548
Home: 815/786-8207
e-mail: jeffmachv8@yahoo.com

***Marlene D Allen 12/R 11/30/2010
Sandwich, IL 60548
Home: 815-786-2069

***Seat to be determined in Nov 2010 elections

DeKalb Districts (County Board)

Kevin Chambliss 5/D 11/30/2012
Home: 815-501-7583
e-mail: kevinchambliss@gmail.com

***Derek Tyson 5/D 11/30/2010
Home: 815-756-1187
email: derektyson@yahoo.com

Ruth Anne Tobias 6/D 11/30/2012
Home: 815-766-2707
e-mail: rtobias@niu.edu

***Stephen R Walt 6/R 11/30/2010
Home/Work: 815-756-2760
e-m…ail: stevedcb@mchsi.com

Jerry Augsburger 7/D 11/30/2012
Home: 815-756-1709
email: none

***Sally DeFauw 7/D 11/30/2010
Home: 815-758-0369
e-mail: sdefauw@westchicago.org

Scott M Newport 8/R 11/30/2012
Home: 815-756-9839
e-mail: newportdistrict8@gmail.com

***Eileen Dubin 8/D 11/30/2010
Home: 815-756-9103
e-mail: edubin1627@comcast.net

Paul Stoddard 9/D 11/30/2012
Home: 815-758-0617
e-mail: prs17@yahoo.com

***Julia L Fauci 9/D 11/30/2010
Home: 815-758-4195
e-mail: juliafauci@verizon.net

Patricia S Vary 10/D 11/30/2012 Home: 815-787-2502
e-mail: pvary@niu.edu

***Patricia LaVigne 10/R 11/30/2010
Home: 815-756-5109
e-mail: plavigne@dekalbtownship.org

http://www.dekalbcounty.org/GIS/BoardDistricts.html

Hearing date set for landfill expansion | Daily Chronicle
www.daily-chronicle.com
A public hearing on a proposed expansion of the DeKalb County landfill has been scheduled for March 1 at Kishwaukee College. The 285-seat Jenkins Auditorium was selected for the hearing in case a large number of people attend, DeKalb County Planning Director Paul Miller said. …