High County gets extension

The High Country Joint Powers Board (HCJPB) met at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Elk Mountain Senior Center.

Social distancing was in effect with seating six feet apart, although masks were optional.

All board members were present with the exception of Medicine Bow representative Sharon Biamon and Hanna representative Bob Patton.

In attendance was Hanna mayor Lois Buchanan, and on phone were DEQ personnel helping with Hanna landfill closure, Travis Evans and Craig McComie.

The agenda was approved without any amendments. The minutes from the regular meetings on May 7 and June 4, and special meeting minutes from May 14, May 19, May 26, June 12, June 18 and June 26 were approved.

Chairman Toby Smith asked if a report had come from the Hanna landfill operating manager Robert Young. There was none, but the board said Young had been busy getting the landfill ready for its closure.

“You wouldn’t believe the difference,” Smith said, complimenting Young’s work. “I can’t believe all that he has done in the last five or six weeks that he has been there. He’s got both dump trucks up and running and the dozer is all cleaned up. He is getting everything covered up.”

Smith said McComie was giving the landfill extra days to take on more construction/ demolition (CD) waste.

People bringing in the CD waste will be charged. Prior to the landfill’s permanent closure on July 1, the towns of Hanna, Medicine bow and Elk Mountain allowed residents to get rid of trash free for the annual spring cleaning. CD waste had been included.

“Probably going to be until July 15,” McComie said. “Only CD waste though.”

McComie agreed with Smith that the new landfill manager was doing excellent work.

“Your guy is doing a bang-up job and I really appreciate him getting everything back in order,” McComie said.

The financials were approved next.

Ann Calvert, bookkeeper for the board, will leave the trailer office by the landfill and move temporarily to an office at the Hanna Town Hall. This is being done because power will be cut off at the trailer’s location.

The board awarded the contract to close the landfill to 4 X Industrial LLC which was the lowest bid out of eight received by the HCJPB. The company is from Colorado and specializes restoring the natural landscape after oil and gas drilling. The company came in $12,000 lower than the next lowest bid.

Solid Waste Professionals were approved to oversee the work by 4 X Industrial.

The last order of business was to get a dumpster count needed for each town. Elk Mountain will be taking 80, Medicine Bow will take 120, and Hanna will get 150 for a total of 350 dumpsters.

The next scheduled meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Aug 6 at the Hanna Town Hall.