Keith dump site to close

At the Wednesday, Aug. 14, meeting of the Grimes County Commissioners Court, commissioners approved the closure of the Keith solid waste collections site and termination of the lease effective Oct. 1.

GIS/Environmental Coordinator Kat Lee told the court, “The county dump sites are not meant to make the county money. They are meant to provide a service to our citizens. It’s come to my attention that the Keith dump site isn’t being utilized as the other dump sites are. In closing Keith, what I’m proposing, is to open Iola and Bedias more days during the week to compensate for closing the Keith collection site.”

All three collection sites are open two-and-a-half days a week, and Lee’s three-week survey revealed that Keith’s collection ranged from 12-62 bags. In contrast, the Iola collection site averaged 800 bags while Bedias ranged from 1,800-2,000.

Lee’s recommendation was to open the Iola and Bedias collections sites an additional one-and-a-half days per week and transfer the employee manning the Keith site to Iola. The employee currently working at both Bedias and Iola will continue to do so. The building at Keith will be moved to Bedias to replace the existing building that is “beyond repair.”

Lee said she talked with Keith area residents and many choose to use the Twin Oaks Landfill. It was noted that there are two private companies who provide curb service in Grimes County.