Recycling in Allen County was once again the focus at Tuesday’s county commission meeting, as longtime advocate Steve Strickler urged commissioners to partner with the City of Iola and finally put dedicated staffing in place for a program that has struggled for years to find its footing.
Strickler, who has spent more than six years pushing for stronger local recycling options, said the time has come for a structured plan that assigns full-time responsibility to both the county and the city.
“The good news is the city has finally said that they would give us one employee,” Strickler told commissioners. “What the county does is completely different from what the city does. We’ve spent six years doing this, and I hope the city lets us be part of the decision-making process, because we know what works and what doesn’t work.”
The city’s immediate involvement is unclear. Earlier this month, Iola Council members voted to add a full-time employee dedicated to recycling efforts. When the recycling system would launch and the start date of the new employee, however, remain unanswered.
Commissioners floated the idea Tuesday of starting with a part-time employee for one or two days a week, then expanding if demand grows. Strickler countered that a full-time position will ultimately be necessary for the program to succeed. “Honestly, that’s what it’ll take,” he said. “But we’ve got to start somewhere.”
“We’re ready to get started,” said Commissioner Jerry Daniels. “I don’t know what the holdup is. We need a plan. You’re kind of preaching to the choir here, I think. I’m ready to assign an employee with whoever the other one is and start with two days a week and see what happens, and then build from there.”
Commissioners ultimately did not take any official action Tuesday but agreed to continue discussions to explore what role the county can play in supporting recycling efforts.
CHELSIE DECKER, 911 Director, urged commissioners to approve console replacements before breakdowns compromise workstations at the county’s emergency communications center. Decker recommended three units at an estimated cost of $67,725.
“Our current consoles are old,” Decker told commissioners. “Ten years is the quoted warranty for the new ones, 15 is probably a good estimate. We’ve been fortunate to get this long out of the ones we have, but they’re at the end of their life cycle.”
Decker said the current consoles — used since 2007 — are beginning to fail. One leg motor is already broken. “Replacement parts just aren’t available anymore,” she said.
The county has already budgeted up to $100,000 from Prairie Queen Wind Farm payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) funds for the purchase.
Commissioner David Lee questioned the urgency of the purchase. “If they’re still functioning, why do we want to spend $100,000 for new ones?” he asked. At one point, he compared the consoles to “high-tech office furniture” and suggested dispatchers could work from a table.
That comment sparked a sharp response from Commissioner Jerry Daniels. “I take that very disrespectfully to our dispatchers that sit at that console for 12 hours straight telling people how to do CPR and God knows what else,” Daniels said. “These handle all the 911 calls, and they’re 17 years old. When the sheriff wants a new truck, we don’t wait for it to blow up before we go get a new one.”
Decker stressed that the consoles are not ordinary desks but specialized equipment built to meet NENA (National Emergency Number Association) standards. “They’re designed for health and safety,” she explained. “You’ve got dispatchers working 12-hour shifts, often on back-to-back days. Ergonomics and reliability matter.”
Lee suggested holding off on a vote until he could see the consoles firsthand. “Let’s take a look at what they’re working with before we make a final decision,” he said.
Although bids are good for 180 days, Decker implored the county not to delay too long. “We’ve been lucky to stretch these consoles to 17 years,” she said. “But they’re not going to last forever.”
