I will be the first to admit that we let the pressure of a ticking clock get the better of us. Facing a hard closure of our county landfill by December 2026—the smallest permitted landfill in West Virginia—we were operating in a state of sheer panic. With virtually no liquid capital on hand, massive permitting hurdles, and the State Solid Waste Management Board explicitly pushing us to work with Jacob Meck and Allegheny Disposal, we took a shortcut.
We tried to force through a noncompetitive, public-private lease-to-own agreement because we genuinely believed it was the only way to keep trash off our scenic roads and protect our county's tourism economy. We even coordinated with the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC) to shelter the project from a $250,000 tax bill just to keep the projected rates down for our residents.
If you ask me how I would vote today to clean up this mess, restore faith in county government, and solve our solid waste crisis, here is exactly how I would cast my votes on the county commission:
1. I would vote to financially back a publicly owned—not privately leased—transfer station.
The SWA has already tabled the noncompetitive deal and pivoted toward building its own 70-foot by 65-foot public transfer station at the landfill site, estimated at $800,000. They have already ordered three walking floor trailers for $328,149 via a Sourcewell contract, bypassing local bidding legally to secure delivery before the landfill closes.
I would vote to approve a structured, annual county contribution (helping offset their requested $300,000 annual subsidy) to assist the SWA in securing a low-interest 1% loan from the West Virginia Solid Waste Management Board. This vote ensures that taxpayer dollars go toward purchasing a public asset rather than padding a private landlord's pocket.
2. I would vote to mandate a strict separation of design and construction.
To prove to our citizens that this process isn't rigged, I would vote to mandate that the engineering drawings being drafted by Potesta & Associates are entirely independent. Under West Virginia Purchasing Division guidelines (Section 7.4), any vendor compensated to design a project cannot bid on its construction. I would vote to explicitly bar Allegheny Disposal—or any of its subsidiaries—from submitting a construction bid using any of the proprietary plans, site layouts, or architectural drawings from our prior closed-door negotiations. This ensures that any licensed regional contractor can bid on the physical construction of the facility on a completely level playing field.
3. I would vote to unbundle and competitively bid the hauling contract.
Our citizens were rightfully angry that we almost handed the transfer station construction and the long-term waste hauling contract to a single local operator without competition. While the SWA has already backed away from a unified hauling agreement, I would vote to ensure that the out-of-county waste hauling contract is put out for completely open, competitive bidding. This will encourage regional logistics firms to compete, driving down our tipping fees and helping us keep our residential green box rates as low as possible.
4. I would vote to petition the PSC to resolve the Certificate of Need monopoly.
I would vote to have our county commission jointly petition the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) to clarify municipal hauling exemptions or secure a public-interest waiver. If we establish that municipalities like Marlinton and Durbin do not need a CON to haul their own consolidated waste, we open the door to true competition.
5. I would vote to mandate full transparency and a strict communication blackout.
To ensure the bidding process is absolutely clean, I would vote to require that all bids be opened in a public session, and that all score sheets, pricing proposals, and mandatory "Certifications of Non-Conflict of Interest" under West Virginia Code § 5A-3-31 and § 6B-2-5 are uploaded directly to the state’s transparent wvOASIS procurement portal.
Furthermore, I would vote to implement a strict "blackout period" from the second the Request for Proposals (RFP) is published until the contract is awarded. During this time, any off-the-record communication between county commissioners, SWA board members, and prospective bidders (including Jacob Meck) would be strictly prohibited. Any questions from bidders must be submitted in writing to a neutral purchasing agent and published openly for all competitors to see.
We made mistakes by moving too fast and keeping the public in the dark. But by voting for public ownership, strict design segregation, unbundled bidding, regulatory clarity, and total transparency, we can keep our county clean, keep our fees affordable, and finally earn back the trust of the citizens we represent.
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