From left, Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce speaks during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting about a proposed subscription-based curbside recycling program Tuesday in council chambers as Councilmembers Dave McCrady, Sharon Kuhl and Roger Brown listen. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — As the Wood County Solid Waste Authority prepares to meet today with local municipal and county leaders to discuss the future of local recycling, its director said the agency is not seeking to take over Parkersburg’s Municipal Recycling Facility.

During a special Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday, several members of the public asked about ways to keep the facility, often referred to as the MRF, open. Mayor Tom Joyce has said the plan is to close it if a proposed recycling contract with Rumpke is approved by council.

“The Solid Waste Authority has no desire at this point to operate the MRF as a recycling center,” authority Director Sarah Robinson said at the meeting.

Councilman Dave McCrady asked if the authority would consider taking over all recycling in the county. Robinson said the authority does not have the revenue to fund it at this time, so that would have to be a discussion with county commissioners and the voters.

Joyce said in December that the MRF has run a nearly $3.8 million deficit from fiscal years 2019 to 2025. Since it opened, commercial haulers have brought their recyclables to the facility to be processed but have never been charged.

Parkersburg resident Cari Talarico, left, speaks during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting about a proposed subscription-based curbside recycling program Tuesday in council chambers. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

On Dec. 1, the MRF stopped accepting recycling from commercial haulers, causing some to change what they picked up. Residents from Parkersburg and beyond can still drop their recycling off there, but Joyce has said city residents should not subsidize recycling for surrounding communities.

“I’m the one who said, ‘We’re not going to do this anymore,'” he said.

Today’s meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Wood County Resiliency Center, was described by Robinson as a brainstorming session for county commissioners, mayors and council members from Parkersburg, Vienna, Williamstown and North Hills to discuss ideas about recycling going forward.

Some in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting asked if the city could start charging for haulers to bring their recycling to the center.

“Obviously they have a need there. There’s a supply and demand,” Parkersburg resident Greg Sanders said.

Joyce said there are no scales to weigh the material and the administration cannot set rates; that has to be done by council.

“I don’t think we have statutory authority to charge non-residents for use of a facility,” he said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com