Sparta Landfill Negotiations Stalled

Negotiations between the City of Sparta and Waste Management have stalled over use of the White County landfill.

The city has been in negotiations since the county sold the landfill and did not include Sparta’s rights to use the landfill in the contract several months ago. Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery said the recent delay in the negotiations is gathering numbers for the costs of using the landfill.

“We have just entered into the negotiations and I’ve requested the numbers, the pickups on the dumpsters, the number of tonnage and things like that being picked up,” Lowery said. “What it’s going to cost us. Once I can find out that then we can make some decisions.”

Lowery said the city not being included in the negotiations when the landfill was sold has been a big setback. Lowery said he does not want to make a decision that will largely impact the budget without knowing how much those services will cost moving forward.

“I can’t make decisions based on the unknown,” Lowery said. “Because we are trying to make budget decisions. Some of the times you look at the budget it’s going to be like at $200,000 plus that we didn’t budget for and I need to see those real numbers and right now I don’t have them all.”

Lowery said in the meantime the city is taking trash to Warren County even though it is not ideal. Lowery said hauling trash to Warren County is taking its toll on the city.

“It’s been over a year now,” Lowery said. “It’s ongoing, it’s a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles. We are hauling trash twice a day. Then the cost of that, the cost of fuel, the cost of paying somebody to take our trash, and it’s just continued on. It’s something that’s got to be addressed.”

Lowery said he plans to get with Waste Management and White County officials to try and strike a deal.