This last seven months has been something I will not soon forget. The City had an idea that we were convinced would bring the management of our waste into the 21st century. By collecting our waste stream into a MURF facility, all recyclable material could be sorted and reused, compostable materials pulled and composted, and hazardous materials that currently end up in landfills could be pulled and disposed of properly. All other materials not suitable for reuse then landfilled and utilized within a waste to energy program . Funds generated from this process were anticipated to be used to construct a new mechanical treatment sewage facility that would help clean up Spring River and ultimately Grand Lake. We truly believe that this program would accomplish all current and future mandates in relation to the handling of solid waste while keeping taxes and user fees affordable. How this has turned out has really taken both sides of the issue by surprise. All the hubbub about island annexation, grand juries, ethics, and morals went on and on and were totally non consequential. Peoples character was tested, some did ok, others not so well. Turns out, the state of Kansas passed a law that was intended to institute recycling and waste reduction by mandating a waste management plan. I am confident that it has had some degree of success, but it seems really ironic that the very law that was intended to promote a program exactly like the City of Galena has proposed was the same law that may well kill this idea. That law of unintended consequences rears its head again! It would appear that if true reuse and recycling is to have any future in Cherokee County, it will be up to the Commissioners. I applaud the governing board of the City for their courage to tackle this difficult problem. Our heart was in the right place, and we did the right thing. We followed the law, and all the council we were given. While I view this as a setback for environmental stewardship, we will go on. We have enjoyed many successes over the last several years, and with Gods help we will continue to grow and prosper. In the end, whether you were pro or anti, none of your actions impacted the eventual outcome. In my view, what really mattered was how we all handled ourselves and our friends and neighbors throughout this process. Hopefully, we can all take this opportunity to do a thorough self examination and be willing to judge ourselves, our words. and our actions honestly. I would like to close out my comments with this. In all my years of public service, I have never encountered a more generous and caring person that has impacted our city more than Brian Jordan. Mr. Jordan has been a steadfast supporter of our City, and I cannot imagine how difficult this has to be for him and his partners. My heartfelt prayers and encouragement goes out to Brian, as I consider him a true friend. I pledge that I will do whatever I can to help.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 03:22:31 +0000
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