The Guthrie County Transfer Station held its annual stakeholders meeting Tuesday evening.

Guthrie County Supervisors Mike Dickson, JD Kuster, Everett Grasty, and Jack E. Lloyd were in attendance at the meeting held in the county health services building in Guthrie Center, as well as Guthrie Center and Panora mayors Mike Herbert and Pat Parker, and Jensen Sanitation Co-owner Eric Morris. Transfer Station Director Jotham Arber presented financials on fiscal year 2020, as well as the department’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget of $757,128. This is a decrease from last year’s budget of $902,059, given that last year included a truck and trailer purchase. He also explained how the transfer station’s switch to self trucking to the Carroll County Landfill with its purchase of a truck and trailer this year has already saved the County about $54,803 than if they stayed contracted with Koster.

As far as disposal rates for fiscal year 2021, Arber said recycling will remain at no charge as he believes this is an important service that he plans on distributing information to educate residents on what can and cannot be recycled. For tipping fees, residential rates will increase from $60 to $65 per ton, while construction commercial rates will increase from $60 to $80 per ton, as previously approved by the Board of Supervisors. For the coming year Arber says he hopes to purchase a smaller, more efficient recycling truck, replace loaders as per a few-year cycle, while also writing grants for municipal and residential recycling bins.