Mattawa garbage drop box to remain open, for now
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 9 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | October 3, 2020 1:00 AM
EPHRATA — For the time being, the garbage collection facility operated by Grant County in the Mattawa area will remain open. That is the recommendation of the county’s public works staff, announced during a public hearing Tuesday.
The public hearing was scheduled to gather comments on a proposal to raise fees at the Grant County landfill and garbage collection facilities around the county, called transfer stations or drop boxes. But Mattawa officials also asked about a proposal to close the Mattawa drop box.
Public works director Sam Castro said the county’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee had discussed closing the drop boxes in Mattawa and Coulee City, and decided to recommend closing the facility in Coulee City.
The drop box in Mattawa will be left open for now, at least while county officials conduct more analysis of the costs and rates, Castro said.
Commissioner Tom Taylor said in his opinion, closing the Coulee City drop box was the right decision, given the amount of use and the cost of operation. The case of the Mattawa facility deserves more research, Taylor said.
Joe Harris, representing the city of Mattawa, and Port of Mattawa director Lars Leland said city and port officials were concerned that closing the drop box would lead to an increase in illegal dumping. Leland said Royal City and Warden experienced increases in illegal dumping when drop boxes in those areas were closed.
Harris said the Mattawa area is growing, with three apartment complexes currently under construction. Closing the drop box would have a significant impact on the Mattawa area, he said. Mattawa city officials understand that rates should reflect the actual cost of operation, he said, and want to be involved in the process of establishing fees. Preferably any discussions should occur before commissioners vote on new rates, Harris said.
Pam Thorsen, Desert Aire, said the Desert Aire community depends heavily on a local drop box. Many of its residents have garbage they have to dispose of, but no way to get it to a disposal site, she said.
Leland said that if the county decides to close the county-owned facility, Port of Mattawa officials are working on a plan to lease port-owned property to a private company to provide a drop box.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
ROAD REPORT: I-90, SR 282 projects under way
MOSES LAKE — It being the height of summer – long sunny days, long warm evenings, the swimming pool, barbecues – it's also the height of construction season. Drivers going to and from Ephrata and traveling certain sections of Interstate 90 through Grant County already know about the delays.
Spokane Seed provides product, knowledge backed by a century
Evolution is a thing in business as well as biology. Spokane Seed has been around for more than a century, and it has evolved as the farms around the Palouse have evolved. “We’re a distributor, a wholesaler,” said Spokane Seed president Andrew Fontaine, the fourth generation of his family to run the business. Their customers, he said, are looking for a very specific kind of product; for dried peas, lentils and garbanzo beans, he said. Their customers come from throughout the world. Spokane Seed has the kind of reputation that has customers seeking them out, he said; that’s partly due to the company’s century-plus in business. Staying in demand requires more than a long history, however.
Moses Lake looking for provider for homeless support services
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials will advertise for organizations who want to provide support for homeless people looking for treatment for substance abuse and a way to get to that treatment. Liz Murillo Busby, the city’s housing grant manager, said the city money to pay for the contract will come from document recording fees. “We’re anticipating a contract of about $55,000 for this,” Murillo Busby said.