Purchase of 117 acres of DNR lands in St. Germain by Vilas County will allow withdrawl of county forest land for future expansion of the Highway "G" landfill, but a key question is who pays the $180,000 price to do that.
With little money in the main account, Supervisor Art Kunde suggested the 14 municipal members of the Landfill Venture Group chip in for the purchase since they are asking to lease 72 acres that must be withdrawnl from the county forest. The landfill operators reminded the forestry committee it was their members that funded the start and operation without using county funds and that the county has over $7 million in an unrestricted general fund.
County board chairman Ron DeBruyne agreed the 14 municipalities have invested a lot of money in the landfill since 1989 and provide a valuable service . Staff will draft language to take the purchase price from the county's general fund.
Of the 117 acres, about half would be entered into the county forest as special use for nature- based outdoor recreation and half for future county highway gravel. The 72 acres for future landfill is west of the present landfill site, which will start on its last cell in 2020. It takes from five to six years to license a new landfill.
