BY HANNAH GOLDFINGER
FOR THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — Environmental Services Director John McDonald gave an update on Monday night during the Lee County Commission meeting about the convenience sites that the county has opened for trash dumping on the weekends.
McDonald shared the trends of usage as well as some issues the county has faced since opening them.
The first weekend recorded 50 tons for the six sites.
“Some of the sites we didn’t even get enough to haul off for that weekend,” he said. “We had some where one of the sites in particular, we let it ride for a couple of weeks before we had to haul it.”
McDonald said it grew slowly until the fourth weekend, however, when usage went up much higher.
Now the average per weekend is between 60 to 70 tons, he said.
One issue is citizens who bring large trailers full of things to dump. And the problem this causes is the inability to keep up with the waste before hauling it off, McDonald said.
Additionally, non-county residents are showing up. McDonald said people are also dumping items that aren’t allowed.
McDonald said that many of these issues existed in the past when the county had dump sites open.
Several options have been thrown out in the past, he said, to help with these things, such as cameras.
“I’ll be honest, the crew that we have now working every weekend is not enough to do those things … it grew a lot quicker than I anticipated,” McDonald said.
He said it’s time the county looks at what it needs to do to address these issues.
District 3 Commissioner Jeff Drury said maybe the county could look at pricing to make sure there are lights at every site or to have punch cards.
Probate Judge Jere Colley said that if they sold punch cards to non-county residents that could perhaps help pay for more staff.
Other Business
- District 5 Commissioner Richard LaGrand shared about the Tunnel To Towers Exhibit coming to Lee County and will open to the public on Sept. 11. To learn more visit the Opelika city webpage www.opelika-al.gov/1188/Tunnel-to-Towers-911-Never-Forget-Mobile.
- The commission recognized employees Lisa Ruffin and Irene Lane for completing the certificate in county administration.
- The commission announced one opening on the Youth Development Center Board and two openings on the Lee County Recreation Board (D3 & D4).
- The commission heard the first reading for the DHR board vacancies.
- The commission voted to approve a committee to further proceed with hiring a county attorney. The committee will be made up of the county’s new COO, the Probate Judge, District 2 Commissioner Ross Morris, District 3 Commissioner Jeff Drury and a private citizen that has not yet been chosen.
- The commission approved an ABC License Application (050, 070 and 099) for Americas Freedom Fuels.
- The commission approved an ABC License Application (050 and 070) for Dollar General Stores No. 30938 and No. 31014 (D4).
- The commission approved the Probate Judge to meet with the appointing authorities for appointing authority evaluations.
- The commission removed an item related to a morgue capital expense request.
- The commission voted to approve a partnership with the Alabama Department Of Rehabilitation Services For Regional Traumatic Brain Injury Center to use meeting space in the Bennie Adkins Meeting Center. The commission agreed to donate the space.
- The commission approved the Lee Rd. 250 as a No Trucks Route for the Highway Department.
- The commission approved the Highway Department Maintenance Bids for FY 2025/2026 with first and second bid extension renewals.
- The commission approved a partial road acceptance for The Lakes Subdivision for the Highway Department.
- The county approved The Safety Incentive Discount Program verification form which Colley needed to sign.
