By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

As representatives from the five municipalities who own the Southeast Berrien County landfill debate on what to do with the property, officials from Bertrand Township will hold a public hearing regarding the landfill debate.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place Thursday, July 22 at 7 p.m. at the Niles Conference Inn.

Bertrand Township trustee Dick Haigh, who has been a proponent of the municipalities keeping the landfill, will be the presenter, along with fellow trustee David Zelmer. A question-and-answer session and public comments will take place after the presentation.
The landfill board, which includes representatives from the City of Niles, Niles Township, the City of Buchanan, Buchanan Township and Bertrand Township, voted in May to hire a company to appraise the landfill to determine its value with the possibility of then selling it.

Both Haigh and Zelmer opposed it.

The board has also discussed seeking a $1 million bank loan to fund the replacement of a cell that is expected to be completely full by next spring. But that project seems to be at a standstill after the board tabled the issue at a meeting last month.

The public hearing next week was approved by the Bertrand Township Board on Thursday in a last minute addition to the agenda. The board also approved spending up to $1,500 on the public hearing. It was approved by a four to one vote with township clerk Jane Lano opposing it.

“I can’t believe that the board approved spending the tax payers’ money on this,” Lano said in an e-mail to the Star.

Lano also said she believes Haigh will present only his opinion on what should be done to the landfill.

Haigh would not comment on what he will present during the public hearing. He also declined to comment on Lano’s opinion that the meeting is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Niles Township Supervisor Jim Kidwell has been a proponent of selling the landfill, arguing it is not bringing revenue to four of the municipalities while the liability still hangs over their heads. Kidwell has said the landfill could sell for an estimated $30 million to $40 million.

Bertrand Township is the only municipality that gains revenue from the landfill from tipping fees.