Nancy McGill, The Milford Times

    The City of Milford agreed with its residents that the G&P Landfill should not expand Tuesday evening during a public hearing at the council's regular meeting.
     The expansion has been an issue since the end of March when G&P was denied a re-zoning request by Seward Planning and Zoning Commission.
     If the request would have been approved, G&P could have been granted a special use permit to expand 53 acres.
     The decision Tuesday to pass a resolution declaring, in part, "the Mayor and council of the City of Milford believe that G&P Landfill has reached its capacity and should not be extended or enlarged," came after nine residents, seven of which live close to the landfill, spoke in opposition to the expansion.
     Before the resolution was passed, Mayor J. Elaine Plessel and Councilman Rick Fortune, reminded everybody in attendance that the resolution has no legal bearing on the expansion. It is simply the city's wish that the landfill does not expand.
     The landfill is located just outside the city's one-mile jurisdiction, therefore, it's a county issue.
     Plessel read a letter from County Commissioner Bill White, who also opposes the expansion.
     Landfill district manager, Ken Mertl, addressed the council after G&P's past violations with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality were brought to the council's attention by several residents.
     "We did not admit guilt," Mertl said about NDEQ's lawsuit against G&P. "We settled (out of court) for business reasons," Mertl said.
     Mertl has taken steps to clean up the landfill since he came on board in May of 2005. During a meeting at the landfill in mid-June, he said the Compliance Assistant Visit with NDEQ in early June went "very well."
     Officials at NDEQ could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but an article in the Omaha World Herald indicated NDEQ was pleased with the visit's results. An unannounced inspection is scheduled to take place before September.
     Residents at the council meeting weren't concerned with how well the landfill is doing. They didn't seem to care that the landfill is no longer in violation.
     Their only goal is to shut the landfill down once its permit expires in September of 2007.
     "The landfill is a future health hazard," Larry Kness said.
     "We're asking the city get behind us," Tim Troyer said. He cited groundwater and the environment as his concerns.
     Tony Houk said the area is zoned transitional agriculture and is meant to protect citizens.
     Kness, a neighbor to the landfill, said G&P needs to find another site. "My property taxes are up 39 percent and I don't think it's because of the mountain range," Kness said of the landfill's height, which is approximately 80 feet and by law, can go another 15 to 20 feet higher.
     Mertl asked if city has a plan in place for future waste disposal.
    Fortune said that's the county's job.
     "Milford has paid their dues. It's time to move on," Fortune said.