Dateline: July 6, 2006

City reverses course regarding landfill idea

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The idea of a city landfill southeast of Clarendon became short-lived after neighboring landowners voiced their opposition last week.

More than 20 citizens attended last Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen to protest a landfill that had barely been proposed. The board first discussed and voted to purchase a 160-acre tract for $112,000 at its June 13 meeting; but by the end of last week’s meeting, city leaders were having second thoughts.

“Do y’all even know what it will cost to maintain a landfill?” resident Laban Tubbs asked.

Alderman Michael Tibbets tried to allay the residents’ concerns by reiterating that the landfill was only in the planning stages.

“We haven’t even done soil samples yet,” Tibbets said. “We just bought the land. We’re trying to keep money in the community.”

Clarendon pays more than $40,000 per year plus time and fuel to dump in the Memphis landfill.

Residents questioned why more public input was not sought before the purchase was approved and said they feared what having a landfill nearby would do to their property values and their groundwater.

“The water strata in that area is only three feet thick,” said Jason Green, who is on the board of the Panhandle Ground Water Conservation District. Other residents noted that several people have been moving to the area southeast of town largely for the quality of water in that area.

Residents also talked about the time and money they had put into improving their property in that area.

“We’re building a wedding ranch,” said Randy Bond, whose property is nearby. “We’ve saved nine years to do it, and I’d like you to reconsider.”

City engineer Che Shadle discussed the permitting requirements and said the state would only hear from adjacent landowners and only about environmental concerns if the city were to pursue a landfill permit, which could take 18 to 24 months. He also said the city would be required to cover the trash every day and would have to monitor the site for 30 years if the landfill were to ever close.

But it was the opposition from neighboring landowners that appeared to resonate with the board.

“If we’re going to affect that many families, we need to reconsider,” Mayor Mark White said and noted that he thought he knew someone who would buy the property from the city if it continued with the purchase.

Other board members agreed with the mayor.

“I don’t want to proceed,” Alderman Tibbets said.

In other city business, Shadle addressed the recently completed street project and confirmed that the streets do in fact have two coats of paving and said densities on the base were lab tested .

The board considered and approved Ordinance 362, which amends Ordinance 143 to make it the responsibility of the homeowner or property owner to obtain building permits and confirm their contractor’s insurances, warrantees, licenses, and bonds.

The board was also asked to consider a noise ordinance, but aldermen said they would rather see an ordinance on “disturbing the peace.”