It will be at least another month before Bay County's waste-to-energy facility fires back up again. Repairs from a February 2012 fire are 80% complete, Assistant County Manager Dan Shaw told county commissioners during their Tuesday meeting.
ENGEN, the company that operates the incinerator for the county, is awaiting final payment of its insurance claim. So far, eight carriers have paid a total of $25.2 million for property and business income losses. Shaw said approximately $8 million in payments is still due.
Commissioners expected the incinerator to be up and running by now, and Mike Nelson said the latest delay is disappointing. "It's almost inexcusable," said Commissioner Nelson. "We have got to somehow come up with a way to get this thing over with... I want to see the smoke coming out of the stacks."
Since the fire shut down the facility, cities and private waste haulers that rely on the incinerator have been forced to make long and costly trips to the Steelfield landfill.
In other business, commissioners:
- Extended Bay Medical Center's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) through March 31, 2113 while the county explores taking over 911 EMS service;
- Voted to obtain a loan from Compass Bank, at an interest rate of 2.9% and a term of 25 years, to finance additions to the Bay County Courthouse;
- Gave final approval to ordinances regulating special events and parking lot vendors that mirror existing City of Panama City Beach ordinances; and,
- Directed the County Manager to seek clarification from the City of Callaway regarding its prior commitment to help offset impact fees facing utility customers in the Sandy Creek community, and to analyze a homeowner group's request that the county finance the cost of system improvements through an inter-local agreement with the city.
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