The McComb city board voted Tuesday to continue its recycling efforts and entered into an interlocal agreement with Pike County, Summit, Osyka and Magnolia to keep the program going throughout the county.
The board voted 5-1 for the agreement, with Selectman Michael Cameron opposing. Selectmen Tommy McKenzie, Ronnie Brock, Donovan Hill, Tammy Witherspoon and Ted Tullos voted for the measure.
To continue recycling, McComb will be the lead agency and put up 35 percent, or $28,875, of the cost, with Pike County giving 55 percent and the smaller municipalities giving a combined 10 percent of the $85,000 total cost, which includes a coordinator’s salary.
A grant through Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality funds existing recycling efforts, but that funding runs out in June. City Administrator Quordiniah Lockley said the city will work to find grants that would help cover the costs.
MDEQ requested McComb reduce its solid waste by 25 percent and have 15 tons of recyclable material monthly.
Mayor Whitney Rawlings said the city is making great strides to hit that mark.
“We’ve been doing this for two years and it’s remarkable that the public, what they’re doing. ... They like the project. They’re recycling,” he said.
Witherspoon asked if the boost in recycling could lead to once-a-week garbage pickup, which would cut solid waste costs. She noted recycling has dramatically cut down on her household garbage.
Rawlings said that is possibility if recycling efforts continue to grow.
Cameron, who avidly recycles, pointed out that as recycling tonnage increases so will the cost to haul the material away from the collection site at 1241 Parklane Road in the Fire Station No. 4 parking lot.
He wondered as recycling prices increase along with tonnage, at what point will the scale tip and the city can cut costs with weekly garbage pickup.
Tullos suggested the city do a better job of letting citizens know that if the bin is full they can remedy the problem by telling someone in the fire station.
After meeting, Cameron said he voted against the measure because he wasn’t comfortable with certain parts of the contract and having to pay 35 percent of the total cost, but did not elaborate further.
In a related matter, the board authorized a five-year contract with Waste Management for twice-weekly garbage pickup at $12.49 per unit.
