EDITORIAL: Agency has wasted time, wasted money

The Lake County Solid Waste Management District's board seems determined to change directions -- finally -- and put the trash-to-ethanol proposal in the trash where it belongs.

The board is under new leadership now, with Lake County Councilman Rick Niemeyer elected chairman on Thursday and Griffith Councilman George Jerome as vice chairman. They won by a landslide, defeating the candidate supported by Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, the trash-to-ethanol plan's biggest proponent.

Niemeyer spoke with a refreshing attitude of, "There's a new sheriff in town." He said the board will have to consider a new direction now instead of continuing to focus on the trash-to-ethanol plan that would convert household waste into a useable fuel source.

"They have spent a lot of time sticking with it and not looking at other alternatives," Niemeyer said. "Our direction may have to change fast."

The board has given developer Earl Powers 60 days to show substantial proof of his ability to deliver on his promise of a $300 million plant in Schneider. So far, he hasn't even shown solid proof of his ability to finance the plant, and his option to purchase the proposed site expired. Since Powers signed the contract with the agency in November 2008, he hasn't produced anything except speculation.

His plan for disposing of waste has been a waste of time.

The 60-day deadline for Powers is long overdue. It's a safe bet Powers will walk away from this deal, just as he walked away from Thursday's board meeting without announcing his intention to do so.

That leaves the board without a solid option for planning for disposing of county solid waste in the future. Reviewing those options is essential.

So is reviewing the agency's spending. The $5 million annual budget with a $102,000 annual director's salary -- both of which are larger than any district of its kind in the state -- inspired state Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield, to craft Senate Bill 210 aimed at reining in expenses. Gard helped create solid waste management districts 20 years ago.

"We have to pay better attention to taxpayer dollars," Jerome said. He's right.

The board, now under new leadership, must focus on reining in the cost of this agency and on a serious, viable, long-term solution for disposal of the county's household waste.