slideshow

Wayne Allen

PDT Staff Writer

The Lawrence-Scioto County Solid Waste Management District (LSSWMD) is in dispute with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization over the ownership vehicles formerly operated by the district.

“A meeting was called of the (LSSWMD) board of directors for Thursday. The primary reason for the meeting was to approve the budget, elect a new chairman, Freddie Hayes a Lawrence County Commissioner, was elected,” said Dan Palmer LSSWMD director. “Thirdly we had to address the situation of the Ironton-Lawrence County CAO refusing to turn over the titles to six of our vehicles and trailers and money due to us from the account we had at the CAO.”

He said it was decided by the board to pursue legal matters with this situation.

“Danielle Parker with the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office was present and the board gave her approval to proceed legally to work this out,” Palmer said. “I’m hoping we can work this out.”

Palmer said the currently the staff is unable to answer complaint calls coming into the district of open dumping, littering or many other issues.

“We can’t send out our litter crew that we send out daily to clean township and county roads. We can’t do any of this because we don’t have any vehicles,” Palmer said.

Palmer said CAO is calling the vehicles and money unrestricted assets.

“Saying it’s CAO money well, I differ. Because that money is not Lawrence County money, it’s not Scioto County money those are district funds,” Palmer said. “They are refusing to turn over this money and the vehicles. They are saying they are CAOs. After all the bills are paid, I think we have about $157,000 in those funds.”

He said the situation is very upsetting.

“I’ve been working today (Friday) to secure us some form of old cruiser or whatever so Steve (Hileman, district environmental officer) can get out there Monday. I’m also trying to secure a van, so we can get crews cleaning either Scioto or Lawrence County. I am doing this so we can get up and get going Monday and start answering the public’s calls,” Palmer said. “This is not fair to the public. The people of the district have seen what we have done, what we have provided through our numerous programs. We certainly want to continue to do all of that but this is hampering us from doing our jobs.”

Palmer said the district has possession of the vehicles in question, in a secure location waiting on the titles to be turned over.

He said the district has been without vehicles since the transition away from the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization in November.

According to Skip Riffe, Chairman of the Scioto County Commissioners the vehicles in question were purchased with district funds but at the time of purchase were leased in the name of the Ironton-Lawrence County CAO.

The LSSWMD Board of Directors ended its relationship with Lawrence County Community Action (CAO), effective Nov. 9. The staff or the LSSWMD are now considered Scioto County Employees.

Calls placed to Ironton-Lawrence County CAO for a comment were not returned.

The LSSWMD Board of Directors consists of Scioto County Commissioners, Tom Reiser, Mike Crabtree and Skip Riffe and Lawrence County Commissioners Bill Pratt, Les Boggs and Freddie Hayes.

The new LSSWMD office is located at 109 North Third St., in Ironton. For more information about the LSSWMD visit, www.lsswmd.org.

Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 228, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.