We at LeFlore County Solid Waste would like to address the many rumors that are circulating concerning the recent closure of some of our green box sites.
We have experienced, in recent years, an overwhelming increase in illegal dumping at our green box site locations. These box locations were installed for the purpose of disposing of household bagged garbage only. Each box location has a sign that informs the citizens that it is for that purpose only and all other items are to be taken to one of our Transfer Stations to be disposed of. These 5 Stations are located at Poteau, Spiro, Arkoma, Heavener and Talihina. They are designed and equipped to handle heavy items such as furniture, construction materials, appliances and other heavy materials. Our compactor trucks that dump our box sites cannot handle these items without causing damage to the trucks hydraulic systems. The cost of maintenance and repair on our compactor trucks has risen significantly over the last few years.
We implemented a pilot program approximately a year ago by installing a manned box site at Octavia to see if it could help with the problem we were experiencing at our unmanned sites. The effects were immediately visible. The site was clean, well maintained and received many compliments from the citizens. We installed our second site at Cameron a few months ago with the same results. We no longer have illegal items dumped and have stopped out of county and out of state dumping at these sites that taxpayers were having to pay for.
We have, after seeing the success of these manned sites, decided that this is the best option to effectively curb the illegal dumping that is occurring in our county. The unmanned sites that allow the illegal dumping are costing you the taxpayer, at best estimate, $200,000.00 each year due to damage of equipment and the expense of clean up each week. These sites are an eyesore and, in many ways, unsafe for the Residents that use them as well as to our employees who have to clean and maintain them.
We are now searching out property to purchase to install 3 more manned sites by early 2024, or sooner if possible. These sites will be placed in our rural areas that are the farthest from our Transfer Stations.
We also know that our open hours at our Transfer Stations need to be extended. We will be voting on a proposal in the near future that will allow for extended hours Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30am to 5:30pm at our Stations and longer hours at our manned box sites. This comes with added payroll expense but is one that we feel is feasible for us to do.
The process of collecting and disposing of garbage is very time consuming and expensive. Our landfill fees will increase drastically over the next 3 years. Our projected cost at our current collection rate for 2023 is $655,000.00. Fiscal Year 2024 is projected at $685,000.00 and 2025 will be $725,000.00. This is landfill cost only and does not include manpower and equipment to haul it.
We at Solid Waste, along with our Trust Board do not take lightly the job with which we have been entrusted. We know that change is not easy, but many times necessary to maintain the viability of our program. We are currently financially stable but in order to maintain that status we have to be ever vigilant as to how to best move Solid Waste forward.
When LeFlore County Solid Waste was established in 1993, there was no way foreseeing the sky rocketing cost of doing business that we are experiencing today. The Trust Board and our management team are ever vigilant in the way that we spend taxpayer dollars. We realize times are changing and we must make changes from time to time to stay a viable entity.
We are not, as rumored, closing any of our Transfer Stations. We will be extending hours to help better serve the public. We are not closing the Cameron box site but rather extending open hours.
We hope that this helps to explain why these changes are being made and will stop the false rumors that are circulating on social media.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 918-647-8516 and speak with one of our management team to help clarify concerns.
Office hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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