Recycling program heads to compost pile

Trisha Benton Randolph Times

RANDOLPH – Randolph is cultivating a new way to recycle.

The Nebraska Recycling Council awarded the City of Randolph more than $16,000 to start a new composting program, the first municipality to do so in the area.

The grant, written by former City Administrator Ben Benton prior to leaving his position, funds a flatbed trailer, composting bays and a cardboard shredder to start composting.

The city’s share of costs for the project is about $4,000, an amount already budgeted, Josh Rayford said at the City Council’s April 10 meeting.

Although Sheila Korth was hired as the city administrator and started March 29, Rayford’s title remains interim city administrator. Rayford conducted the meeting last week while Korth attended by phone.

For the new composting program, a cardboard shredder will be used on readily available material at the city’s recycling center. Grass clippings from the recycling center, and food waste from Randolph Public Schools and other entities will be key ingredients for the compost pile, too.

Water and air in newly constructed compost bays will turn the recycled material into compost to be used on residents’ gardens or farmers’ fields.

The bays will be large enough for a city employee to safely use a skid-steer loader to aerate compost piles. The location of the new compost bays has yet to be determined, but may be located near the city’s sewer plant, said John Dickes, the city’s public works supervisor.

In the grant application, Benton estimated about one hour of employee time each week to aerate and maintain the compost pile after the original setup.

Recycling processes from the public won’t change with residents still able to drop off recyclables at the city’s recycling center.

“We will bring grass and leaves over that we know are good. The public wouldn’t put anything in it,” Dickes said.

It may take awhile for the program to produce usable compost, but when it’s ready, there will be a learning curve, Rayford said.

Dickes suggested residents be invited to take available compost first and then it would be made available for others outside city limits.

As part of its regular meeting, the council also discussed three condemned properties on Randolph’s Broadway Street.

Paul Rosberg, Wausa, owned the three adjacent buildings in downtown Randolph – the former Nebraska Finest Meats, the building that formerly housed the Seek N Find Consignment store, and another that served as storage and upstairs apartments.

All three buildings failed a 2021 internal city inspection and were condemned by the city. The properties were later sold to Vernon Forney, Pierce.

Councilwoman Janelle Biernbaum said the city has tried to work with Forney to clean up the properties for almost a year.

“He purchased condemned properties and is doing nothing with them,” she said. “He made commitments to us at a City Council meeting of what he was going to do with those properties and did not meet any of the commitments at all that he told us.”

Upon advice of City Attorney Keelan Holloway, a letter will be sent providing 60 more days and an invite to the next council meeting to discuss next steps.

“The city gave him some room to breathe to see how it played out. We know now how the story ends,” Holloway said. “It would be good to let him know we are not going to let this sit idle anymore.”

Whether Forney or the city does the required work at the properties, it will be at the property owner’s cost, Holloway said.

Biernbaum said a community organization is interested in purchasing the properties. A discussion on acquiring the properties may be held in an executive session at next month’s meeting.

At its last meeting, the council also: - Discussed continued involvement in the Kansas Municipal Utilities program for two city employees to become journeyman linemen. No decision was made and the council is expected to continue discussions next month.

- Formally approved the city administrator to sell a 2015 Ford Explorer. - Approved a resolution to finance a mower for the Randolph Community Golf Course.

- Approved fence, building and flood development permits.