The future of recycling in Allen County may soon look very different, as county commissioners continue to weigh how the county and City of Iola can work together to sustain a program.
At Tuesday’s Allen County Commission meeting, Janie Works and Karen Gilpin of Allen County Recycling shared news that the Iola City Council on Monday night approved hiring a full-time recycling employee.
The new staff member will run the city’s recycling center and handle cardboard pickup — a task Works described as one of the most exhausting but essential parts of the program.
“Pickup of cardboard is huge,” Works said, explaining that baling and hauling cardboard is physically demanding and time-consuming. “Having someone there every day will make a tremendous difference.”
While volunteers continue to lend a hand, commissioners acknowledged the program’s long-term success will depend on stable staffing. Commission Chairman Jerry Daniels suggested the county could eventually dedicate one of its employees to recycling. Rather than assigning the work to an existing department, he envisioned putting out a call to see if any county employee had a passion for the cause.
“There may be a person out there that just loves the idea of recycling and wants to be that person,” Daniels said. “If we get to that point, I’d like to see us give them the opportunity.”
Commissioner David Lee admitted he was surprised by the city’s leap to a full-time hire. “That’s a pretty big step,” he said.
For now, the county’s role remains to be defined, but the tone of the discussion suggested a willingness to work alongside the city in keeping the recycling program alive.
IN OTHER NEWS, County Appraiser Danielle Louk pitched a plan to purchase “Field Mobile,” a digital system that would replace her staff’s reliance on paperwork during property inspections. The $20,560, three-year package would also require tablets at $1,700 each. Louk said the system would save time, reduce errors, and allow her office to do more with fewer employees. Commissioners tabled the request for a week to consider it further.
Public comment brought debate over the quarter-cent hospital sales tax, which will go before voters this fall. Resident Arlynn Briggs pressed commissioners on whether putting the measure on the ballot amounted to endorsing it. Daniels said the board’s job was simply to let voters decide. Still, Lee and Commissioner John Brocker spoke in support of the tax, noting its importance in sustaining Allen County Regional Hospital.
“The vote is to retain the hospital sales tax, not to add to it,” Brocker explained. “It’s not adding more sales tax to the deal. That tax helps us maintain the building. They’re talking about how we may need to replace its roof. That building was built in 2013. If we have to replace the roof, you know what that’s going to cost? Multiple dollars.”
• Road and Bridge Director Jeremy Hopkins announced that county equipment — including a dump truck and mini-excavator — will be part of Humboldt’s upcoming “Touch-a-Truck” event, giving children the chance to climb into the big machines and explore.
• The meeting closed with a discussion about LaHarpe’s fire department. Lee raised concerns about talk in the city of dissolving the local fire department and leaving coverage to the rural district. Commissioners agreed the issue will require legal review and more conversations before any changes are made.
