On June 24, 1988, House Bill 592 became effective and required the boards of county commissioners of all of Ohio’s 88 counties to form Solid Waste Management District’s, either individually or in conjunction with other boards of county commissioners. Following the passage of House Bill 592, the boards of county commissioners of Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne Counties, believing that continuing the established relationship among the counties was beneficial, agreed to function as a joint solid waste management district. Thus, the county commissioners of all three counties formed the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District by resolution on November 28, 1988. The Board of Directors is comprised of the County Commissioners representing Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne Counties.

The Solid Waste District, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 343 and Section 3734.52, was formed for the purposes of preparing, adopting, submitting, and implementing a solid waste management plan for the District for the purpose of providing for, or causing to be provided for, the safe and sanitary management of solid wastes within all the incorporated and unincorporated territory of the counties.

As of January 1, 2007 the Stark County Recycling Office, the Tuscarawas County Office of Recycling & Litter Prevention and the Wayne County Recycling Office merged upon the request of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The three recycling offices now work together as one with the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District. While the District’s office, located in Bolivar, is the primary office, Tuscarawas and Wayne Counties still maintain their satellite recycling offices while Stark County recycling resides at the District office.

Policy Committee Appointment

The Solid Waste Management Policy Committee established and convened by the Board for the District as provided in Section 3734.54 of the Revised Code shall be comprised of twenty-one members determined in accordance with Divisions (B) and (C) of Section 3734.54, as amended.

The President of the Board of County Commissioners of a County, the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation having the largest population within the boundaries of a County and the Health Commissioner of the health district having the largest territorial jurisdiction within a County shall be members of the Policy Committee for so long as each holds his or her respective office, provided that each may designate a person to serve as a member of the Policy Committee in his or her place. The choice of the member of the Policy Committee representing the townships within a County shall be adopted by a majority of the Boards of Township Trustees within that County.

The remaining members of the Policy Committee shall be comprised of (A) one member from each County representing industrial, commercial or institutional generators of solid wastes within the County, (B) one member from each County representing the general interest of citizens of the County who shall have no conflict of interest through affiliation with a waste management company or with any entity that is a significant generator of solid wastes, and (C) one member from each County representing the public.