The Barton County Commission on Tuesday approved the latest version of the Solid Waste Management Plan following a public hearing on the topic. There were no comments from the public as Solid Waste Director Jennifer Hamby presented details.

The plan was last updated in 2021. The county is required to review and update its plan every five years. Hamby submitted a 78-page plan.

“The biggest changes were to recycling,” she said. This plan lists recycling activities and drop-off locations.

Hamby said the landfill is expected to last another 90 years and recycling extends its life. She noted that since Ellinwood residents now have curbside recycling, there has been a 50% increase in participation. A new company in Great Bend also plans to offer that service.

The Top 3 waste items brought to the landfill are food, plastics and paper/cardboard, in that order, she said. Food waste can be composted and many of the other items can be recycled.

It was also mentioned that Superior Essex in Hoisington has operated with zero waste since 2014.

Lease renewed

In other business, the commission extended a lease on five acres located off NW 150 Road, a quarter-mile west of U.S. 281 on the south side of the road. Kirby and Linda Linsner are the owners; the updated lease was extended to Oct. 1, 2030, at $850 a year. County Works Director Chris Schartz compared this to the lease approved one week earlier for 2.4 acres located 1.75 miles west of Heizer. Both areas are used for the storage of materials and equipment needed for the construction and maintenance of roadways. Both areas have been leased for 50 years or longer, Schartz estimated.

The County has a sand pit near Ellinwood and one near Odin. Having lots in each quadrant of the county saves miles on machinery as well as time when doing roadwork.