BERTRAND TOWNSHIP — Five employees at the Southeast Berrien County Landfill have been let go in the past month.

The firings — the most recent one being Financial Manager Mike Whetstone — were the decision of Interim General Manager Clyde “Sonny” Fuller, who was hired at the end of February.

Fuller informed the board of his decision at Wednesday’s Landfill Authority Board meeting.

Board Chairman Bill Weimer said the board doesn’t have to approve hirings and firings. Asked if the board approved of the recent layoffs, Weimer said the board voted to continue Fuller’s contract for another six months.

Weimer said the firings were a financial decision, as “volumes are way down.”

“We as a body are looking at ways to slash cost,” he said. “A lot of that job (financial manager) can be outsourced.”

The board has also been discussing outsourcing the permanent general manager job to another waste company, but Weimer said the committee studying the issue has not been able to come to a consensus.

Weimer also said if the landfill can come up with a way to construct a new cell, which will cost more than $1 million, he has a feeling the board may consider not outsourcing the position.

As far as the feasibility study of the landfill, which will help the board to determine whether to sell the facility or not, it appears it’s on hold. Weimer said the board has not decided on a firm to do the study.

Each of the five municipalities that own the landfill — the townships of Niles, Buchanan and Bertrand and the cities of Niles and Buchanan — collected letters from residents with questions, concerns or comments regarding the potential sale of the landfill.

Landfill board member Dick Haigh told the Star in an interview last week that many of the letters voice concern of rising waste rates if a new owner takes over. The landfill is currently a nonprofit organization.