Newton County’s reactivated solid waste management authority’s board of directors is set.

Commissioner Nancy Schulz, District 3, named her appointment during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting at the Newton County Historic Courthouse.

Schulz chose former school board member Phillip Wise.

“I received only one recommendation from the Spring Hill community,” Schulz said. “That one was so impressive to me that I agreed to appoint Mr. Phillip Wise. I’m very pleased to appoint him.

When the other commissioners announced their appointments to the eight-member authority board, Schulz said she would take two weeks to find a candidate from the Spring Hill community. The Newton County board of commissioners came to a consensus that two members of the authority’s board of directors should come from the Spring Hill Community.

Spring Hill is the closest community to the Newton County landfill.

The other appointee from Spring Hill is Sharon Sawyer, who was named by District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson. The other members of the Solid Waste Management Authority’s board of directors are Chair Keith Ellis, Schulz, District 2 Commissioner Lanier Sims, Ronnie Johnston, Bob Stafford and Wayne Haynie.

Stafford and Haynie were also members of a citizen’s committee formed to help management the county’s solid waste program. The committee recommended reactivating a solid waste management authority that had been dormant for years in the county.

The board of commissioners voted to reactivate the authority on Jan. 22 and began naming members on March 1.

While the solid waste management authority prepares to get started, the board of commissioners voted to approve staff to start the bidding process for a solid waste request for information/qualifications/proposal.

The request will obtain information on everything from curb side collection, convenience centers, the landfill to conversion technologies and other aspects of solid waste, Interim County Manager Lloyd Kerr said.

The solid waste management authority will get involved in that process when after it begins its work.

“You would want to get the members of the solid waste authority involved in the process,” said Kerr when asked by Schulz how the decision would flow over to the solid waste management authority. “I think how quickly the solid waste authority becomes viable, it is possible this would run almost parallel with establishing the board.”