The landfill is owned jointly by Loudon County, Loudon City and Lenoir City, the stakeholders. For many years the landfill has been operated by a third party hired by the LCSWC. The long time contractor has been Santek Waste Services. The last contract with Santek was signed in 2007 for twenty years. By all accounts that contract was awful for the stakeholders, but great for Santek, with the stakeholders receiving 9% of the revenues and Santek receiving 91% of the revenues from the landfill, owned by the stakeholders.

Last year, Santek was bought out by Republic Services. At the time the LCSWC had been negotiating with Santek to try to get a better deal for the stakeholders. In exchange for a better deal for the stakeholders, Santek would get at least a ten year extension to the landfill management contract.

The LCSWC membership is made up of five members appointed by county commission and one member each from the two cities. The chairman of the LCSWC is first district commissioner, Kelly Brewster.

A few months ago the stakeholders were informed that the LCSWC was nearing a deal with Republic/Santek. At about the same time, it was learned, through election financial disclosures, that in January of 2022, Republic/Santek had made a $500.00 contribution to the "Kelly Littleton Brewster election campaign" even though she had announced in November that she was not running for re-election. Ultimately, Ms. Brewster stated that she knew nothing of the contribution nor had she received any money from Republic/Santek. When asked about the contribution, Republic/Santek stated that the contribution check had been sent by mistake and had ultimately been destroyed. Ms. Brewster will be leaving the LCSWC at the end of her elected term, September 1.

The collusion clause in the current contract expressly forbids any financial commitment to any member of the LCSWC.   

After a close reading of the proposed contract extension, it appears to many of us, that the proposed contract extension would place the stakeholders in an even worst financial position than the original contract. Not the least of the issues, was a huge increase in the tipping fees, which determines how much you will pay to dispose of your trash. When the contract extension was presented to the Loudon County commission, more than half the commission asked the LCSWC not to go forward with the extension at this time and even at a later meeting attempted to remove the county appointed members from the board to prevent the contract extension from being signed.

In a later development, Tim Brewster, the husband of the LCSWC chairman, Kelly Brewster, was arrested and charged with stalking and harassment of LCSWC board member, Pat Hunter. Ms. Hunter was the only board member who has objected and voted against the contract extension and brought attention to the flaws in the extension.

This Tuesday, 7/12, the LCSWC is set to vote on the contract extension with all indications that they will pass it regardless of it's impact on the stakeholders and tax payers.      

So the question is, why is the LCSWC in such a rush to sign a bad contract extension? There is still five years on the current contract. Work for a better deal for the stakeholders, rate payers and tax payers.

What's the rush?