Brunswick requests to waive flow control for city's trash

MEDINA — The city of Brunswick formally requested a waiver from the flow control requirement for non-recyclable waste generated by residential and municipal properties within the city. The Medina County commissioners, acting as the board of the Medina County Solid Waste District, held a public hearing to consider the city's request to waive flow control on Tuesday. Medina County's current solid waste plan requires flow control, so trash from the county must go to the waste processing facility in Seville. Brunswick Service Director Paul Magovac said Medina County is one of five counties in the state that mandate waste go to one facility. Ken Fisher was the attorney representing the city of Brunswick on Tuesday. He said the city is requesting the waiver to allow city waste to instead go to Kimble's transfer and recycling facility in Liverpool Township for the duration of its contract with Kimble, which runs through June 2029 and may be renewed through June 2033. "Approval of the waiver at this juncture would allow the Medina County Solid Waste Management District the ability to consider and propose an amended plan," he said, "which is due to be submitted to the Ohio EPA in early 2026 for initial review and comment that would implement initiatives to offset losses and potentially reduce costs to other community partners in Medina County." Magovac estimated Brunswick residents would save around $2.6 million in the five-year contract with Kimble if flow control was waived. He said there would be shorter travel times, which would allow routes to be done faster and use less man hours. "The potential savings to residential taxpayers of the city is substantial," Fisher said. "The city is accordingly committed to exploring all potential avenues to ensure fiscal efficiency and responsibility." The city of Brunswick accounts for roughly 17 percent of the volume that goes through the solid waste district's facility, Magovac said. Rumpke Waste & Recycling is the service partner for the solid waste district and operates the transfer station. Rumpke Senior Vice President of Business Development Ted Neura said that approving the waiver would have an impact on the solid waste district's financing. "Those tons leave, and the revenue is removed," he said. "That's probably estimated to be about $900,000 over the five years, so it's significant." Neura described approving the waiver as a "slippery slope" and said there would be no way to deny the next waiver requests that come in after. "Granting the waiver would be tantamount to removing the district's designation authority because it's such a significant volume," he said. Fisher said that if the waiver request is not approved, the city of Brunswick would consider using its veto power to reject the amended plan. "The city is open for discussions and will continue to remain open and amenable to discussions to find a solution to this problem that satisfies both the interests of the residents of the city of Brunswick and the interests of the county," he said. Rumpke is also open to having discussions and finding solutions, Neura said. "We don't have an opinion necessarily on the waiver, whether or not to," he said. "We think it's premature to issue a waiver because there are other significant items that have to be evaluated and, frankly, maybe even decided upon in collaboration with the waiver request itself." The hearing was concluded on Tuesday, and it will reconvene at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Medina County Commissioner Aaron Harrison said when the solid waste district will make its case. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.