Posted 9/19/01 Kanabec rescinds rebate offer to solid waste commission By Danielle Strenke Kanabec County has no plans to hand over money collected through waste collection surcharges, Commissioner Dennis McNally told the East Central Solid Waste Commission Monday. At the meeting, Isanti County Commissioner and board chair George Larson said he had requested a response from Kanabec County regarding their agreement to return 25 percent of the surcharge they receive from the commission utilizing land for its Mora facility. Kanabec County receives a certain amount per ton collected at the facility. At some point, the county expressed its decision to rebate 25 percent of those funds back to the commission, with the understanding that the funds would be used for implementing recycling programs at the Mora facility. ìWe feel the 25 percent rebate was if the commission recycled here, and that has not been done,î McNally said. ìWe feel the rebate is null and void. Weíre looking into using that money for property taxes against this land, if possible.î McNally said he wasnít sure if the board considered the newly implemented metal recycling program at the facility. ìDo we assume any money the county would have set aside up until now is no longer available, or from this point on?î asked executive director Allen Bonini. McNally said it was his understanding that the county was rescinding the offer from day one, with none of the funds being returned to the commission. Comm. Larson said Kanabec County would be very limited in how it could spend this money, and asked if it was prudent to continue to ìstockpileî funds in a pool for future liability. ìI think this was started in an effort to get us going on the recycling thing again. But if youíd like to continue stockpiling this money, then that answers my question,î he said. The board was not presented with an actual total of what the 25 percent would be, but Bonini said in a typical year, that kind of rebate would total around $51,000. Bonini presented the board with the July financial statement, showing an ending net operating surplus of $953,927. This figure, however, does not reflect the anticipated major cash disbursements for items such as the final billing on the new landfill construction, new equipment, and improvements at the Cambridge transfer station. Allowing for these incoming cash outlays, the surplus is reduced to $97,000, which Bonini said is still a healthy balance in the commissionís cash reserves. ìWhat kind of interest are we getting on that cash?î Larson asked. Bonini said most of the money is with Kanabec State Bank, which offers the commission a 100 percent return of the 90-day t-bill rate. ìUnfortunately, the feds just lowered the interest rate, which is good for consumers, but bad for investors who need liquid cash investments,î Bonini said. ìCould we refinance any of those funds?î asked Pine County Commissioner Paul Hancock. Bonini explained it would be difficult to refinance, with financial institutions realizing that the joint powers agreement for the ECSWC is set to sunset in 2007. The October meeting of the ECSWC was set for Monday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. ©Post Review