Commissioner Main raised the topic of staff laid off at the solid waste department who are drawing unemployment checks from the county but could be shaking metal out of the ash pit. There is an estimated $1 million of recyclable metal in the trenches and last year the facility bought almost $400K of equipment paid for with funds from the solid waste contingency fund. Metal reclamation earned $250K last year with just three months of operation and earns enough to pay the principle and salaries and generate additional revenue for the facility.
Commissioners Messerle and Parry agreed to take up the suggestion at the next solid waste work session along with other staffing matters within ten days.
Since the May 15 election there has been two commission meetings and so far only candidate Don Gurney has seen fit to attend. John Sweet and Tim Bishop running for position two and Melissa Cribbins who is opposing Don Gurney for position three have not attended any meetings and were not known to attend commission meetings prior to filing their candidacy papers.
Cribbins and Sweet’s absence at any of the BOC meetings have made it clear that that they are only concerned with making policy. They could care less about taking an active role in County business and making a physical appearance at County meetings. They support hiring a County administrator to do the day to day work. Cribbins, Sweet and Messerle hardly a “dream team” more like a miserable failure for Coos County’s future. They are heavily backed by special interest groups who do NOT have the citizen’s best interest in mind. Coos County needs to generate revenue to support and sustain the people who live and work in this area.
Why should the “dream team” change? They are convinced that they are winners. And, what in the heck is so difficult for Messerle and Parry to make an immediate decision regarding the metal in the trenches. They know it’s there. They know it’s a money maker. They know hiring back laid off workers makes sense. IMake money now. Is this one that they must run by the structure committee majority for advice?