TIMELINE* 1970s: County opens landfill at Birchwood.* 1987-1990: Mayor Ron Littlefield serves as Public Works commissioner.* 1999: City buys Birchwood landfill; Environmental Materials LLC opens next door.* 2004: Transfer station opens on Wisdom Street.* 2008: City audit cites internal-controls problem with weight scales at landfill.* 2009: Ray Marler contributes $1,000 to Littlefield’s re-election campaign.* 2010: City Auditor Stan Sewell cites problems in contracts between Chattanooga and Ray Marler, including allegations that Marler employs three family members related to Citywide Services Director Jimmy Templeton.* 2011: City decides to hire two weight-scale operators for landfill.Source: Chattanooga, City Disposal Services LLC
Chattanooga is backing out of a longtime arrangement in which a private contractor’s employees manned the weight scales at the Birchwood landfill, the Chattanooga Times Free Press has learned.
The city is seeking two employees to replace scale operators employed by longtime city contractor Ray Marler’s company, Environmental Materials LLC, waste resources director Jerry Stewart said.
The scale at the entrance to the landfill is used to weigh truckloads of waste being brought for disposal. Dumpers pay by the ton.
In 2008, City Auditor Stan Sewell raised concerns over a third party operating the scale and handling city cash.
Last year, Sewell released audits questioning Marler’s contracts with the city and pointed out that Marler employs three relatives of Citywide Services Director Jimmy Templeton, who has been involved in contracts with Marler’s company.
Marler’s attorney, Mike Richardson, said Friday that Marler hopes having city employees rather than private workers on the scale will help alleviate suspicion or unease.
“We would welcome that,” Richardson said. “It’s fine with us.”
Marler owns three companies that have had contracts with the city.
Environmental Materials LLC runs a private landfill next to Birchwood that provides dirt for the city’s landfill.
Chattanooga Transfer LLC hauls trash from a transfer station on Wisdom Street to the landfill. City Disposal Services LLC picks up large and small containers of garbage for the city.
Stewart said putting city employees at the scale will not break any contract because the contract with Environmental Materials has expired and the city is operating under an old contract.
Council members reached Wednesday said they had spoken with Public Works officials months ago about making changes at Birchwood, but no one said there have been recent conversations.
MONEY PROBLEMS
City officials said the cost for two employees would run $80,000 to $100,000 a year.
Steve Leach, administrator of the Department of Public Works, said his department has not budgeted for the expense.
The positions could be funded by leaving other Public Works jobs unfilled for the second half of the year, he said, or the hires may have to wait until the new fiscal year starts July 1.
“We’ll have to look through our budget,” he said.
Councilwoman Deborah Scott said Wednesday she was glad to hear the city finally was posting its own employees at the scale.
“That’s something we should have done a long time ago,” she said. “It gives us more internal control.”
LITTLEFIELD CONNECTIONS
Election records show that Marler’s wife, Rilda, contributed $1,000 to Littlefield’s 2009 re-election campaign. Marler did not contribute to the 2005 election campaign, records show.
Littlefield said Wednesday it would not surprise him if the Marler family donated to his election. He said he did not know specifically that the landfill owner gave money.
“I haven’t looked back at the disclosures,” he said.
Littlefield said he has known Marler since serving as Public Works commissioner in the late 1980s and has employed him as a contractor. He said Marler was a “good and reliable” contractor.
The mayor said there was absolutely no favoritism toward Marler in the contract negotiations.
Since he has been in Chattanooga politics for decades, “it would be hard to find someone I didn’t have a personal relationship with,” Littlefield said.
Richardson said last week his client knows several politicians and has donated money to several campaigns.
“It was not to curry any political favor,” Richardson said.