Communities all across the country are doing this and it works. Industry representatives, however, question the county's estimates on potential cost savings. They believe the county is basing its projections strictly on handling residential trash and isn't factoring in other materials such as construction or demolition waste. Nearly all of the county's waste is dumped at Glen's. Barrons also said that getting bids from landfills in Manistee and Pinconning does not necessarily mean that the local officials there will approve of their counties becoming dumping grounds for Grand Traverse.
State regulations require municipal agreements between counties for trash disposal.
While the disposal bids are still being reviewed, Smith said the county will not award a contract until it has completed the next two phases of its solid waste plan. The first is to develop a county-owned, privately operated waste transfer station and recycling facility. The second is to create contracts for waste collection in the county. Completing those tasks will probably take most of next year, Smith said, meaning a new system probably will not be in place until mid-2002. We're trying to meet everyone's needs from Fife Lake to the Old Mission peninsula.