IN YOUR CORNER

The solid material removed from a sewage treatment plant is called

"residuals", "biosolids", or formerly "sewage sludge". Properly treated,

residuals may be used as a fertilizer supplement or soil amendment,

subject to regulatory requirements that have been established to protect

public health and the environment.

Martin County now pays approximately $275,000 per year to have these

residuals hauled to Western Martin County to be used as a fertilizer.

Based on new federal and state regulations, the cost of handling this

material could substantially increase.

It is refreshing to see the Martin County Utilities Division of the

Environmental Services Dept. meet with surrounding counties (St. Lucie

and Okeechobee) and municipalities (City of Stuart, City of Port St.

Lucie and City of Ft. Pierce) in order to possibly develop a centralized

treatment facility to handle these residuals (or sludge) rather than use

it for land application. We are encouraged by this spirit of

cooperation, and will keep our readers posted as this develops.

***

The Jan. 16 edition of the Kiplinger Letter predicts "sharply higher

insurance premiums" for everything from automobiles to workers comp

being caused "by soaring costs for Rx drugs, doctor and hospital bills".

With this in mind, it is reassuring indeed to learn that our school

district has negotiated a flat renewal rate with their insurance

provider, CIGNA. The key reasons for this zero percent renewal, down

from their original renewal rate of 7.85% offered on Nov. 27, 2000, are

the implementation of a three-tier prescription formulary, stabilized

claim experience and the consolidation of the core benefit package. For

the first time, the two unions agreed to agree, and now the

administrative staff and the teaching staff will share the same

benefits. We hope the School Board approves this package without delay.

***

The Martin County Landfill employees had an old building with a minimal

locker room and showering facilities. Originally, this building was an

old wooden school house that had been trucked, intact, to the landfill

about 15 years ago. It had no air conditioning, it leaked, and it had

only minimal plumbing and electricity.

As part of the budgeted capital projects at the landfill, $250,000 was

set aside for a new employee building which would provide a lunchroom, a

larger locker room and sufficient showering facilities. Several of the

employees volunteered for overtime and, using recycled lumber and other

items disposed of at the landfill, they remodeled the old school house,

adding more electricity, plumbing and air conditioning. It took two and

a half months. They saved the county and we taxpayers about $230,000.

Kudos to the landfill employees!

***

After several years of dormancy, normal relations between our county

commission and the City of Stuart were reinstated on the afternoon of

January 31, when a joint meeting of the Stuart City Council and the

Martin County Commission was held at Stuart City Hall. A friendly and

neighborly spirit had not existed between these neighboring governments

since the former commission majority reverted to litigation in place of

dialogue and negotiation over issues, mainly regarding land use and

annexation.

Ammunition for this legal "war" in terms of fees for outside counsel

have been reported at $176,000, and to that number we must add the

considerable cost of time spent by in-house staff. All this former

hostility resulted in a shutdown of normal communications, or as the

City Manager described it: "the pipelines hadnt been used for years and

were blocked". The city staff could not even email the county staff! The

cost to taxpayers of this lack of cooperation was incalculable.

This historic Jan. 31 meeting, while not overflowing with problem

solving and conclusions, nonetheless set the stage for further progress

on such subjects as coordinating development plans, annexation requests,

drainage and transportation needs, the regional handling of sludge, etc.

In that two hour meeting, all participants agreed that the reopening of

communications was overdue, and that such joint meetings would be held

in the future to assure that communications and cooperation continued.

Additional gestures of outreach are in process. An attempt is being made

to resolve traffic issues in South County as well. Taxpayers should

applaud the new commission attitude for its potential to resolve

problems in a friendly and cost efficient manner.