AMESVILLE, Ohio — The Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District officially secured its second member in a council of governments for waste, recycling and compost services at a special meeting Wednesday night.
The Amesville Village Council unanimously passed a resolution on third and final reading as an emergency for the village to immediately join the Southeast Ohio Area Resources Council of Governments. The SOAR COG would absorb Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers, Inc. operations and assets to help maintain local control of refuse infrastructure.
Mayor Gary Goosman said the village is in favor of the COG because it presents a low-risk opportunity, and the village has had a good experience as part of the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council COG.
“[SOPEC] saves people money, it’s been a benefit and it retains control,” Goosman said. “So for us, we have nothing to lose by joining a COG — we’re not a franchise. We’re not gonna say, ‘You have to use this service.’ So in the end, us being a member, if they can provide a competitive price and deliver good service, we got nothing to lose.”
According to censusreporter.org, as of 2022 the village had a population of 160.
Nelsonville and Athens are also actively considering COG membership. Meanwhile, unsorted piles of recycling are growing at AHRC, which doesn’t have a sufficient number of employees to manage recycling. The nonprofit has undergone reductions in staffing since the city of Athens decided to shift waste services to another provider.
The AHSWD did not return a request for comment in time for publication.
Amesville Village Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at village hall, 18 Maple St. Its next meeting will be April 10. The next AHSWD board meeting is June 10.
