DeKalb commissioner proposes landfill-area sanitation discounts, filters and composting incentives; committee defers for fiscal review

Commissioner Terry presented a resolution aimed at "enhancing environmental equity and sanitation practices" for neighborhoods near the county landfill, proposing staggered rate discounts, HVAC filter rebates and support for composting initiatives.

Terry said the program would focus on households within a two‑mile radius of the landfill and cited GIS figures: "we do know that based on GIS data, there's 4,400 households approximately in that 2 mile radius," he told the committee. The proposal described a distance‑based discount structure: 50% for residences closest to the landfill, 35% for roughly one half‑mile to one mile, 20% at further bands and 10% out to two miles. The resolution also includes a small rebate program for higher‑efficiency HVAC filters (MERV 8–12 and MERV 13+ tiers) and directs continued study of composting capacity at the Pole Bridge site.

Why commissioners deferred: Committee members asked for a clear fiscal impact and legal review. Commissioner Shakira Johnson said she wanted a definitive breakdown of addresses and costs before proceeding; County Attorney Phillips said an off‑the‑cuff review did not reveal legal barriers but that the law department would review details. Staff said GIS shows about 4,482 households in a two‑mile radius but that most homes lie beyond the closest half‑mile bands, so the total subsidy would likely be under the upper estimate if the highest discount applied to every household.

Composting and revenue considerations: Commissioner Terry and staff said other jurisdictions show composting can both reduce landfill odor and generate revenue. Terry referenced Athens‑Clarke County as an example, saying that county's compost program returns about $1.3 million per year and that composting biosolids can create a revenue stream that offsets sanitation costs.

Decision and next steps: The committee voted to defer the resolution to the second meeting in May to coincide with results from the Pole Bridge composting study and to give staff time to produce a more detailed fiscal statement and legal review. No formal subsidy or rebate was adopted at this meeting.