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Updated 11:31pm - Mar 18, 2010
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Opinion Coastal Voices: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Coastal Voices: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
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Gerry Hemmingsen, chairman of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, has appointed Supervisor Mike Sullivan to form an ad hoc committee to “study the justification of the Solid Waste Management Authority.” The first meeting of Supervisor Sullivan’s Committee is today, but it will be closed to the public. I have read in The Daily Triplicate that Supervisor Sullivan’s committee will evaluate whether Del Norte County should withdraw from its partnership with Crescent City on the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority. It is not clear to me what specific reason there is for this urgent scrutiny, but I am not concerned about any honest, objective analysis of our services or finances. We have a balanced budget and earn revenue sufficient to pay all of our costs, without relying on any tax funding or subsidy from the city or the county. The Transfer Station is open seven days a week and we provide a quality service for a fair price. We hire courteous and well trained staff and our service contracts with private companies pump more than $5 million back into our local economy each year. For two years, Supervisor Sullivan sat as a commissioner on the Authority Board. During this time he had the opportunity to become familiar with the daily operations, long-term goals and financial accountability of the organization. I met with Supervisor Sullivan twice last October and provided all of the information that he requested, including details on budget, expenses and staffing. For this reason, I was disappointed to read in the Saturday Triplicate this quote from Supervisor Sullivan, “People in the community need to know where their money is going.” This makes it sound like no one knows. There are no mysteries here. Our budget is a public document. Our revenue and expenses are well documented. Every year we hire an independent auditor and every year we get a clean audit opinion. Our independent auditors know where the money is going. Our budget is approved each year, following a public hearing, by a board comprised of two City Council members, two county supervisors and an appointed public member. The Authority Board knows where the money is going. All of the money that we earn is deposited in the county treasury and all claims for payment and payroll are processed through the county Auditor’s Office. The county auditor and treasurer know where the money is going. Our finances are transparent. Anyone can find out where the money is going. This year the total budget for the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority is $4,051,780. From this we pay: up to $2.5 million to Hambro/WSG to operate the transfer station, $408,980 for grant-funded programs, $205,000 for the transfer station construction loan and about $131,200 to maintain and monitor the closed county landfill. The remaining balance, about $800,000, pays for all expenses, staff and supplies needed for all of the services and programs that we provide. With all of the challenges that the county is facing, it’s hard to justify Supervisor Sullivan’s committee spending county staff time to study an agency that by any measure, is a model of a successful city/county partnership, that pays for itself, has a balanced budget and provides services that our customers value. We should always be open to any suggestions for improving efficiency and service quality. If there are specific concerns, we should address them. The question is, what problem is Supervisor Sullivan’s committee trying to solve? Common sense says: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Kevin Hendrick is director of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority. |
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