West Fargo has severed ties with the troubled waste management company that handles its garbage.
The City Commission on Tuesday agreed to purchase the transfer station building, land and some equipment used by Sheyenne Disposal for about $923,000.
The city will lease the property at 1620 Main Ave. W. until the deal closes. That's expected to take more than six months while the seller, Investors Capital Group, clears the title to the property.
West Fargo could start operating the transfer station as early as Friday if the state grants it a temporary operating permit, City Administrator Jim Brownlee said.
The city is hiring a trucking firm to haul the trash to a landfill, likely near Gwinner, N.D., and will temporarily shift some sanitation workers to the transfer station building.
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"I think this is going to be a learning curve for all of us," Mayor Rich Mattern said.
It will not accept waste from other companies or cities except Casselton, N.D., at first, Public Works Director Barry Johnson said.
If Investors Capital Group, which holds a quit claim deed to the property, cannot clear the title, West Fargo could either be released from the agreement or extend the lease, which is $8,500 monthly.
The deal leaves Sheyenne Disposal without a way to do business. Company president Mark Thelen declined to comment when contacted after the meeting.
West Fargo contracts with the firm to transfer its garbage to a landfill near Gwinner, N.D., and to operate the city-owned landfill, which is for construction debris and not household trash.
Both parts of the firm's business are embroiled in legal troubles.
The North Dakota Health Department wants to revoke the company's transfer station operating permit. It accuses Sheyenne Disposal of numerous operating permit violations, including allowing garbage to pile up and keeping the building in disrepair.
West Fargo is suing Sheyenne Disposal over its operation of the city owned landfill. The landfill has been shut down several times in recent years for fires or operating permit violations.
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The purchase agreement comes out of that civil case, which is still pending, Hoy said Tuesday before commissioners voted.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Andrea Domaskin at (701) 241-5556
