Waste Connections was reportedly the sole bidder on an emergency RFP to haul our trash out of the county while an “independent” handpicked engineer will evaluate the facility. Last week, Cam Parry told the audience during a BOC meeting that the board had made a decision during an executive session to send a letter to Waste Connections to address the company’s failure to comply with conditions of a 2003 franchise agreement. The company has been out of compliance for over a year and Parry said, “we are calling the curtain on this one”. His statements, however, did not square up with the real facts and today county counsel, Oubonh White, confirmed that a letter was sent to the company dealing primarily with a trash hauling contract but that some language regarding the compliance issue was included. It was not an actual “compliance letter” she said. In other words, Parry with the full complicity of Bob Main and Fred Messerle, misled the audience last Tuesday and have since refused to answer email requests for clarification.
So this company, which is out of compliance has now been awarded a contract to haul our trash elsewhere when it has been confirmed that two burners could continue to operate off one side of the facility during repairs.
The other matter to consider here is whether the topic admitted to by the commissioner was eligible for exemption on public meetings law. The agenda notice claimed the executive session was to discuss pending or current litigation and documents exempt under public records law.
192.501. The following public records are exempt from disclosure under ORS 192.410 to 192.505 unless the public interest requires disclosure in the particular instance:
(1) Records of a public body pertaining to litigation to which the public body is a party if the complaint has been filed, or if the complaint has not been filed, if the public body shows that such litigation is reasonably likely to occur. This exemption does not apply to litigation which has been concluded, and nothing in this subsection shall limit any right or opportunity granted by discovery or deposition statutes to a party to litigation or potential litigation.
It is hard to see how a trash hauling contract would fit this definition. Meanwhile, Jon Barton is either outright lying about the financial condition of the solid waste department in a letter to the editor today or he is just plain stupid. (Or both)
Today I sent a public records request for electronic copies of the county’s letter to Waste Connections and any letters from Waste Connections prompting the letter. Please contact the commissioners and demand an explanation or they will dispose of this valuable public asset and you will see your rates rise within a year.
Bob Main
(541) 396-3121 ext 770
Fred Messerle
(541) 396-3121 ext 247
Cam Parry
(541) 396-3121 ext 281
Barton is single minded in more ways than one
Re the Barton letter. Ever notice that his home town changes depending on the subject of his letter – CoosBbay today – Hauser last time.
So waste connections is going to haul for free until they square-up what they owe the county, oops, that wouldn’t make SCDC happy.
Excuse me, predators is not the right word.
Cockaroaches.
Right in front of us. I hope the readers understand how high their fees are going to go now, mandatory fees, you will pay Waste Connections whether or not they even haul your trash.
Is there anything We The People Who Don’t Matter, can do now to protect the facility and our workers from these predators?
I’ve been studying WConnections, their MO is to sweep in, then if they don’t get exactly what they want, they threaten lawsuits. THEN when they get their takeover, rates at lest double, in most cases triple. They also will demand EVERY landowner in the county MUST pay them for their hauling, whether you haul your own or not. These are not amateurs, we are. It looks like we’ve been had folks, right in front of us. Congratulations Jon Barton, oink oink oink.
I hope Cam understands the concept of Karma, cause he’s gonna pay. Fred is just a selfish cranky old man, and Bob Main is a dumb ass. This is what Fred wanted all along, obvious Cam did what he was told, and to hell with the workers at the facility. They could have done this and continued working.
What a damn shame that this asset was taken from us all, AFTER we’d voted to keep it.
How sad to have to watch something like this unfold. These men cut their deals with Waste Connection long ago, this is just the fall out from it, they were going to privitize the facility , if they couldn’t do it on actual slander as in drug users, they decided to just do it and say to hell with all of you. So how many more workers lose their jobs now ?
Corporate control is complete. Kind of makes you feel stupid doesn’t it? To watch what Waste Connections has done to have their way with Coos County.