County staff told Bulloch County Commissioners that the implementation of a plan is underway to eliminate convenience centers and move to manned sites beginning in January 2027, with many centers closing in the next 8-12 weeks.
Assistant County Manager Crystal Dawson and Interim Solid Waste Director Rose Bonner presented to county commissioners Tuesday morning to discuss closing multiple convenience centers, manning the remaining open centers, and alternating days of operation.
NEED FOR CHANGE
Staff told commissioners that the centers staying open 24 hours a day without any staff is leading to abuse, high costs, and illegal dumping. It’s led to unpredictable overtime and staffing issues, higher tippage fees, and dumping by people who are not residents of Bulloch County.
The proposal includes staffing the centers, closing the centers at night, and starting ‘days of operation’ in January 2027. Staff on site would verify residency, educate the public, and set limits on what is acceptable to dump. The centers would be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Residents would need to show proof of residence (a drivers license) or a permit that could be obtained from public works for various reasons. Eventually, the county would provide ‘stickers’ to place on the windshield of a vehicle so a person does not have to check in every time they visit a convenience center.
WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE
- Household trash/bulk waste
- Limbs smaller than 6 feet in length and 8 inches in diameter
- Metal appliances and scrap metal
- Limit of 6 passenger tires
WHAT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE
- Tires on rims
- Hazardous waste
- Vehicle batteries
- Paint
- Used motor oil
- Pesticides
PROPOSED SITE CLOSURES
Staff told commissioners they would like to begin closing ten centers in the next eight to twelve weeks. The centers would be decommissioned entirely with the removal of all the fencing and the dumpsters.
The recommendations were based on coverage, expandability, location, and usage.
- Olney Center
- Arcola Center
- Old Groveland Center
- Union Church Center
- Sinkhole Center
- Millcreek Center (Highway 24)
- Clito Center
- Rocky Ford
- Highway 80 West
- Lake Collins
Olney is one of the busiest centers, but is among the most abused, according to county staff. Rocky Ford, Highway 80 West, and Lake Collins are not fenced and are considered “the easiest” to close.
OPEN CENTER CHANGES
- Westside
- Middleground (Expandable)
- Ogeechee (Expandable)
- 6 Points (Expandable)
- Cypress Lake (Expandable)
- Simons Road (Expandable)
- Portal
- Stilson
- Denmark
- Langston Chapel
- Leefield (Expandable)
- Pine Inn (Expandable)
TWO OPTIONS FOR SCHEDULE
Spread coverage – Depending on where you are in the county, you have somewhere you could go any day of the week.
Cluster coverage – If you are in the south, you have somewhere to go on one day and it alternates to the next day for the north end of the county.
Changes for Staff Schedules
CURRENT SCHEDULE: Currently working 5-6 days a week with 10+ our days. They work every 3rd Saturday and work most holidays.
NEW SCHEDULE – Would work 4 days a week for 10 hours, would have holidays off, and would follow Bulloch county employee holiday schedule. (CI employees would have different schedules)
COST TO REPAIR, STAFF SITES
- Estimating $15,000-$20,000 for six months, includes eliminating positions in solid waste and adding positions to the Correctional Institute.
- Going to post positions in the Correctional Institute
- Losing 8 positions
- Adding 12 positions to Correctional Institute
- Staff want someone with ‘a badge on their shirt’ in case people don’t handle being told ‘no’ well.
- $30,000-$40,000 in repairs for repairs to shack buildings at stations
- Not the goal to lay anyone off, but to find them positions elsewhere.
Pros & Cons as Explained by County Employees
PROS
- Have more control over the centers
- Stopping abuse at the center
- Reduce volume
- Lower fuel usage
CONS
- Citizens having further distance to travel to drop trash and reduced hours
- Staff adjustment
- Anticipate increase in road trash
Staff said a vote was not needed Tuesday, but they did need support to understand which direction they should go. They also need to know which staffing option they’d prefer so they know how to advertise the positions.
Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Nick Newkirk – Agreed that something needs to be done as the current system isn’t working. He said he doesn’t have a preference on the open days/schedule as long as citizens know what they can do after the adjustment period. He asked if there would be savings in tippage fees, to which staff replied, “We hope,” noting that the first six months is unpredictable with regard to what will be found on the side of the road.
He also expressed concern about coordinating with law enforcement, code enforcement, and magistrate court to ensure illegal dumping is seen through to the end. Staff said there will also be a change in ordinances to ensure the changes are enforceable.
Commissioner Ray Davis – Asked about farmers and their ability to dispose of 2-2.5 gallon chemical containers that they clean and puncture before dumping. Staff asked what chemicals he was referring to and he answered ‘farm chemicals.’ Davis also said the community will have to help in the transition because it will likely get worse before it gets better.
Commissioner Anthony Simmons – Said he thought the plan was good and he’s always said they’re going to find someone deceased in the dumpsters. “I do think it’s gonna take a lot of education.” He also said more people will likely need to be hired to get out there and get tag numbers. “It’s something new that we can try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”
Commissioner Timmy Rushing – Brought up tires that were dumped when the centers were manned before. He referenced an incident where a large number of tires were dumped on the land of a farmer. The farmer asked to bring the tires to the centers and was told ‘no’ by staff.
“Would y’all consider if you sent your code enforcement officer out there and they determined it was an illegal dump on somebody’s property that they had nothing to do with, would y’all accept that off of them instead of making them do it because it’s going to end up on the side of the road and then we’ll have to pick up the same tires.”
Staff said they would consider it, including having code enforcement looking into who did the illegal dumping in the first place.
He also asked who would control the CI staff at the centers, which staff said would assign to Warden Robert Toole. Randy Tillman said that would give the CI the ability to send additional inmates to a trash site, if necessary.
Chairman David Bennett asked if the county ordinances could be revisited to increase fees to make them something that is more than a nominal fine. County Attorney Jeff Akins said the fine is capped at $1,000 under Georgia law, but that he did not know the fine amount that is currently being assessed.
Bennett also said he’d like to have data to compare down the road after changes are made in an effort to measure success. Among the data he said he would like staff to consider:
- Tippage fees
- Fuel consumption
- Overtime costs
- Loss recovery (particularly on tires)
- Recycled materials recovery
- Overall cost for litter pick up off sides of road
- Number of convictions made for illegal dumping
There was no further discussion and commissioners did not take a vote.
View the presentation made Tuesday.
