Supervisors approve agreements for recycling in Scranton, Grand Junction
For two decades, Louis Dreyfus LLC of Grand Junction has provided the county with $50,000 per year as discretionary funding as negotiated with the supervisors before the ethanol plant opened. Supervisors have provided funds to a wide range of projects ranging from ambulances and fire trucks to summer festivals and park improvements from the Dreyfus fund.
Louis Dreyfus will make the final payment during the fiscal year starting July 1. A small amount of money will be left in the fund for Fiscal Year 2028, and the board has approved a pair of two-year grants with payments in FY27 and FY28. There are also a few outside entities the supervisors want to fund through FY28.
With that in mind, the supervisors at their Feb. 17 meeting approved discontinuing Louis Dreyfus grants going forward. The previous commitments will be kept, but no new requests will be heard.
They also approved 28E agreements with cities of Scranton and Grand Junction for recycling services. Recycling has been done in Greene County without much discussion until the Greene County Recycling Agency dissolved in 2025, and more concern was raised about the number of rural residents putting recyclables in bins funded by cities.
Scranton and Grand Junction have both contracted for recycling pickup with a private hauler. The 28E agreement calls for the county to pay each city half of its recycle cost, with the knowledge that rural residents will use the city drop off sites.
According to Jefferson city administrator Scott Peterson, the city of Jefferson hopes to have stand-alone agreements with Paton, Rippey, Dana, and (hopefully) Churdan. The county will then enter into 28E agreements with each of those towns to fund half the cost.
The city is proposing charging per dump rather than a monthly fee. Cost would be $250 per dump. Peterson estimated revenues to Jefferson of $39,000 from the county and $6,500 each from Paton, Rippey, and possibly Churdan, and $3,000 from Dana.
The State Code requires every county to provide for the establishment of a solid waste reduction program, and specifies that recycling must be prioritized over burning and disposal of waste in sanitary landfills.
The board approved the required equal opportunity policy statement and residential anti-displacement and relocation assistance plan needed for the Paton-Churdan Early Learning Center’s Community Development Block Grant through Region XII Council of Governments.
County attorney Thomas Laehn spoke with the supervisors about contracting with Hoyt, Morain and Hommer law firm to represent the county in possible litigation with Union Pacific Railroad dealing with drainage repair within the railroad right-of-way east of Scranton in Jackson Township. Laehn said he would have a draft engagement letter ready for consideration at the Feb. 23 meeting.
Diane Hinderaker of Boone/Greene County Probation reviewed the annual probation report. She noted Boone/Greene County Probation currently has 63 cases in Greene County ranging from operating while intoxicated, driving while license barred, and possession of a controlled substance. The current contract expires June 30, 2026.
Hinderaker said there will be no funding increase needed for FY27. The amount will once again be $44,267. The new contract will be on a future board agenda for approval.
Auditor Billie Jo Hoskins presented the FY27 budget request for general assistance at the Feb. 19 meeting. That budget also showed no increase over the current fiscal year, with the budget request of $21,180. Hoskins presented the emergency management budget at the Feb. 19 meeting as well. The proposed budget shows revenues increasing from $35,00 to $40,000, and expenditures increase from $80,687 to $86,030. Line-item increases were in funds payable to Region XII Council of Governments for development of a hazardous waste mitigation plan, and increases in wages and liability insurance.
