The Harford County government is helping the 46 employees who are losing their jobs at Scarboro Landfill get priority for other positions, the director of administration told the Harford County Council Tuesday night.
Harford County Executive Barry Glassman announced last week that the county will outsource its landfill operations and other solid waste sources to the non-profit Maryland Environmental Service. The 46 affected employees have been told their last day on the job will be Aug. 31.
Appearing before the County Council Tuesday night, Director of Administration Billy Boniface said Glassman will present the council with an executive order allowing MES to take over management of the Environmental services Division Aug. 31.
He said county leaders will be working with MES, a non-profit, quasi-public agency of the state government, over the summer to ensure a "smooth transition."
"One of the key components of this move is the placement of employees affected by this," Boniface said, explaining Glassman wants to provide "as many opportunities as possible" for the workers to be prioritized for the 27 jobs that opened up after employees left under Glassman's retirement incentive.
"Change is difficult for many, and this is a change that we have decided to move with. We think it's an important part of our efforts to improve efficiency with Harford County government," Boniface told the council.
He said representatives from county human resources and MES human resources will be coming up to the Harford Waste Disposal Center off Scarboro Road in Street on a regular basis.
In response to a question from Council President Dick Slutzky, Boniface said the move will "absolutely" save money for the county eventually.
"We would not be moving forward if we did not expect to see potential savings," Boniface said.
He nevertheless emphasized the county's continued efforts to help those affected, explaining county leaders are trying to look at each individual employee and "what would be the best fit for them moving forward."
"Out of transparency and fairness," the county positions have also been opened up for everyone, he said.
He said the executive director of MES, former Harford county executive Jim Harkins, agreed to meet with him and council members individually to discuss any issues.
MES is a state authorized agency, run by a board appointed by the governor, as is its director, Harkins, but beyond that, it has little public oversight. MES operates inside and outside the state, runs municipal water and sewer systems and waste disposal facilities, among other services, according to information on its website.
"We have no regulatory authority and we receive no direct appropriations," the agency states on its website. "MES is a self-supporting, independent state agency, combining the public sector's commitment to environmental protection with the private sector's flexibility and responsiveness.
"MES provides services at competitive rates to government and private sector clients and works on projects including water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, composting, recycling, dredged material management, hazardous materials cleanup, storm water services and renewable energy. We provide expert engineering, monitoring and inspection services."
According to information supplied by the county, the 46 jobs being eliminated include laborers, equipment operators, clerks and administrative and supervisory personnel, including a deputy department director, two division chiefs and a program manager.
"The biggest thing is to make sure the public does not see any change in service during this transition period," Boniface said.
MES can do many things the county can not "to try to improve the experience for those who use the landfill facilities," he said.
The county is phasing out a waste-to-energy incinerator, run by a contractor, at Aberdeen Proving Ground by next year. In 2013, Harford signed a long-term contract to have Baltimore County dispose of its trash and recyclables.
Boniface told the council the county would be in much bigger trouble if that agreement with Baltimore County was not in place, as Scarboro has already been pushing its capacity.
"I think this will greatly extend the life of the landfill," he said.