Montgomery County legislators passes several resolutions Tuesday relating to the demise of the regional solid waste authority, but a special meeting next week is needed to tie up some loose ends.
The Montgomery-Otsego-Schoharie Solid Waste Management Authority, known as MOSA, had been in operation since the mid-1980. Each of the three counties has passed legislation withdrawing from MOSA, and Montgomery County now has an intermunicipal agreement with Fulton County for the use of the Mud Road Landfill.
Legislators passed a resolution approving quit-claim deeds from MOSA regarding the Eastern Landfill, the Central Landfill and Western and Amsterdam transfer stations, all in Montgomery County, the construction and demolition landfill and Northern Transfer Station in Otsego County, and the Oneonta and Schoharie transfer stations, as well as transferring MOSA equipment to the respective counties.
The intermunicipal agreement establishes a three-county oversight panel to monitor post-closure operations. Otsego and Schoharie counties appointed their county treasurer and solid waste director to serve on the panel. Montgomery County legislators tabled a resolution Tuesday that would have appointed District 5 Legislator Terry Bieniek to the panel. County Executive Matthew Ossenfort said the panel would have administrative duties as well as oversight responsibilities, so someone who is involved with the process day-to-day, such as County Treasurer Shawn Bowerman, should be part of the panel.
Ossenfort also has questioned whether the appointment should be made by the legislature or by the county executive, given that some of the panel’s responsibilities will be administrative.
Representatives of the three counties are meeting this week to continue working on post-closure questions. Montgomery County legislators will meet at 6 p.m. April 29 to discuss remaining issues, including any possible changes to the intermunicipal agreement that may come out of the three-county meeting.
