The Habersham County Board of Commissioners will vote this evening on a proposal to close the construction and demolition (C&D) cell at the county landfill. If approved, the landfill in Mt. Airy will no longer accept C&D debris. That means contractors, home renovators, and others will have to haul their large debris to landfills outside of Habersham.
It’s an odd reversal for a landfill that was supposed to serve the county for the better part of this century. A decade ago, engineers estimated that the Habersham County landfill would satisfy the county’s waste disposal needs until 2072. Now, the C&D portion of the dump is nearly full.
Three months ago, then-interim landfill director Johnny Vickers told commissioners the C&D cell had eight months of available space.
“After that point, we will have no more room for C&D at the landfill,” he told commissioners at their September 18 work session.
When that happens, Vickers said the other cells at the landfill would start filling up fast if they accepted C&D waste. Discontinuing C&D service is one way commissioners hope to extend the landfill’s life. By acting now, the county would give contractors a few months to make other arrangements before having to haul their trash out of the county.
The Habersham County Commission will discuss landfill operations during its work session at 5 p.m. Monday night, December 18. Commissioners will vote on whether to close the C&D cell during their regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m.
Both meetings will take place in the jury assembly room at the Habersham County Courthouse at 295 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville.
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Animal Control
In addition to landfill concerns, the commission will deliberate on new intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) for animal control services with six cities in Habersham County. The proposed agreements outline a new formula based on each municipality’s tax digest and population to determine the cost of animal control services.
A table provided to the commissioners reveals that five out of the six cities will experience a decrease in costs for animal control services. Notably, Clarkesville and Cornelia will incur no cost for these services, while Alto will see a slight increase of just under $215 for the year 2023.
The table outlines the animal control costs to each city based on a new formula using the city’s tax digest and their population. (Habersham Commission packet December 18, 2023. www.habershamga.com)Each city must individually agree to the IGA with the county and approve the ordinance used by Habersham County to enforce animal control policies and regulations. The IGA is set to automatically renew each July 1 unless a 60-day notice is provided before the renewal date.
The Habersham County Commission work session and regular meeting will be held in the Jury Assembly Room at the Habersham County Courthouse at 275 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville. The work session will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the regular meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.
