(Monticello) - County Manager David Fanslau took administrative action Wednesday to correct solid waste user fee billings that were erroneously issued.  The Solid Waste User Fee Local Law was not intended to be applied to vacant land; however, certain real property class codes were erroneously billed.

"The specific real property class codes that are to be corrected will be removed from the warrants of the Town Tax Collectors, and corrected bills will be issued”, said Fanslau.  This action will preempt any unnecessary charges or fees associated with the real property class codes that were erroneously billed.

The Solid Waste User Fee schedule was approved by the County Legislature in December 2009, and was effective for fiscal/calendar year 2010.  The Solid Waste User Fee generates revenues to fund the Solid Waste System, and is applied to all real property parcels that have improvements on them, including parcels that are exempt from the real property tax system.  In past years, the County's Property Taxpayers subsidized the Solid Waste System through the County"s General Fund.

There has been a Special Revenue Fund established to fund the all-in costs of the Solid Waste System of the County.  This Special Revenue Fund was created to prevent the use of the proceeds for any other purpose but for costs directly associated with the Solid Waste System.

“Many years ago, the County issued bonds to fund the Solid Waste System; however, during those years a debt service reserve was not established.  The landfill has reached capacity, but there remains a $40 million debt to be repaid through 2022, as well as, about $1.2 million in annual post-closure costs that the County will have to fund for a thirty year period,” Fanslau said.  The Solid Waste User Fee will partially fund the expenses of the Solid Waste System, with the remainder funded through disposal fees at the Transfer Stations and convenience centers.

The County has executed an agreement with IESI Corporation to manage a portion of the Solid Waste System.  The County Landfill in Monticello is now closed, having reached capacity.

All Municipal and Commercial haulers will utilize the Ferndale Transfer Station Monday through Friday, on an interim basis, until Commercial haulers may be received at the Mamakating Station, and until the centralized Transfer Station is constructed in Monticello.

New Operating Hours for 2010: 

The operating schedule for the Convenience and Transfer Stations for 2010 is as follows:

 Convenience Centers:

 Highland

-Open to Residential Waste Only

-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 7:45am - 2:45pm

 Western Sullivan:

-Open to Residential Waste Only

-Wednesday and Saturday, 7:45am – 2:45pm

 Rockland:

-Open to Residential Waste Only

-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 7:45 – 2:45pm

Monticello (Landfill):

-Open to Residential Waste Only

-Monday – Friday, 7:45AM – 2:45PM, Saturday 7:45AM – 12PM

Transfer Stations:

Mamakating:

-Temporarily Open to Residential Customers Only, Will be Open to Municipal Sanitation Departments and Commercial Waste Haulers in Early 2010

-Wednesday and Sunday, 7:45am - 2:45pm

Ferndale

-Open to Residential Customers, Municipal Sanitation Departments and Commercial Waste Haulers Monday – Friday, 7:45AM-2:45PM (scales close at 2:30PM) and Sundays 7:45AM-10AM for non-residential and 7:45AM – 2:45AM for residential customers

Special Notices (Including Pricing Changes):

The Ferndale Transfer Station will no longer be accepting cash, effective January 18, 2010. Only coupons, checks or money orders will be accepted at this location.

Existing coupons may be used through February 1, 2010, at which point the coupons must be used in denominations commensurate with the per bag fee, or turned in for new coupons reflecting the current per bag price.

Coupons may be purchased at any of the transfer or convenience stations throughout Sullivan County, but only checks or money orders will be accepted as payment.

The following rates are only applicable for Sullivan County residents. Out-of-county residents seeking to use the Solid Waste system must pay the $85 solid waste user fee to access the system.

Please take note of changes in Solid Waste Disposal Fees, Effective January 1, 2010:

The tipping fee for Municipal Solid Waste at Sullivan County Transfer stations equipped with scales will change from $75 to $85.

Please take note that Sullivan County will no longer accept commercially-generated roll-off containers with construction and demolition debris until further notice. The tipping fee for residential-generated Construction and Demolition Debris and Bulky Waste at Sullivan County Transfer Station in Ferndale equipped with scales: $125 per ton.

Please take note of changes in Solid Waste Disposal Fees, Effective February 2, 2010:

Individual Bag Fee for Non-Clear Bags:  $4.00 per bag

Individual Bag Fee for Clear Bags (containing no recyclables):  $2.00 per bag

The following real property class codes have been removed administratively from the Solid Waste User Fee billing:

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