Solid Waste committee to fund compost center

After about 1 1/2 hours of debate with each other and members of the crowd, the Calhoun County Solid Waste Planning Committee voted in favor, with Terris Todd absent and Arnold Arquette, Steve Essling and Lewis Cooper voting against, of funding $14,200 in matching funds with the City of Marshall the compost center on Division Road. The center, on county-owned property, is operated by the city of Marshall and when the committee voted last year to withhold the $14,200, the city reduced hours of operation to only eight per week. Essling and Cooper felt funding the center was giving the city a blank check because the city had allegedly been warned in 1999 that the committee's decreasing revenues required a phased pullout from the deal but committee member and City of Marshall employee Cheryl Vosburg felt approving the financing for this calendar year will give the city, county and townships more time to settle on alternative revenue streams that will be fair to all county residents. The audience applauded when the Vosburg's motion to fund the operation passed. See this weekend's Chronicle for more on what people had to say at this well attended meeting.