Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 343 | Solid Waste Management Districts
Section 343.01 | Establishment and Maintenance of County or Joint Solid Waste Management District.

Effective: November 2, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 34 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) In order to comply with division (B) of section 3734.52 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners of each county shall do one of the following:
(1) Establish, by resolution, and maintain a county solid waste management district under this chapter that consists of all the incorporated and unincorporated territory within the county except as otherwise provided in division (A) of this section;
(2) With the boards of county commissioners of one or more other counties establish, by agreement, and maintain a joint solid waste management district under this chapter that consists of all the incorporated and unincorporated territory within the counties forming the joint district except as otherwise provided in division (A) of this section.
If a municipal corporation is located in more than one solid waste management district, the entire municipal corporation shall be considered to be included in and shall be under the jurisdiction of the district in which a majority of the population of the municipal corporation resides.
A county and joint district established to comply with division (B) of section 3734.52 of the Revised Code shall have a population of not less than one hundred twenty thousand unless, in the instance of a county district, the board of county commissioners has obtained an exemption from that requirement under division (C)(1) or (2) of that section. Each joint district established to comply with an order issued under division (D) of that section shall have a population of at least one hundred twenty thousand.
(B) The boards of county commissioners of the counties establishing a joint district constitute, collectively, the board of directors of the joint district, except that if a county with a form of legislative authority other than a board of county commissioners participates, it shall be represented on the board of directors by three persons appointed by the legislative authority.
The agreement to establish and maintain a joint district shall be ratified by resolution of the board of county commissioners of each participating county. Upon ratification, the board of directors shall take control of and manage the joint district subject to this chapter, except that, in the case of a joint district formed pursuant to division (C), (D), or (E) of section 343.012 of the Revised Code, the board of directors shall take control of and manage the district when the formation of the district becomes final under the applicable division. A majority of the board of directors constitutes a quorum, and a majority vote is required for the board to act.
A county participating in a joint district may contribute lands or rights or interests therein, money, other personal property or rights or interests therein, or services to the district. The agreement shall specify any contributions of participating counties and the rights of the participating counties in lands or personal property, or rights or interests therein, contributed to or otherwise acquired by the joint district. The agreement may be amended or added to by a majority vote of the board of directors, but no amendment or addition shall divest a participating county of any right or interest in lands or personal property without its consent.
The board of directors may appoint and fix the compensation of employees of, accept gifts, devises, and bequests for, and take other actions necessary to control and manage the joint district. Employees of the district shall be considered county employees for the purposes of Chapter 124. of the Revised Code and other provisions of state law applicable to employees. Instead of or in addition to appointing employees of the district, the board of directors may agree to use employees of one or more of the participating counties in the service of the joint district and to share in their compensation in any manner that may be agreed upon.
The board of directors shall do one of the following:
(1) Designate the county auditor, including any other official acting in a capacity similar to a county auditor under a county charter, of a county participating in the joint district as the fiscal officer of the district, and the county treasurer, or other official acting in a capacity similar to a county treasurer under a county charter, of that county as the treasurer of the district. The designated county officials shall perform any applicable duties for the district as each typically performs for the county of which the individual is an official, except as otherwise may be provided in any bylaws or resolutions adopted by the board of directors. The board of directors may pay to that county any amount agreed upon by the board of directors and the board of county commissioners of that county to reimburse that county for the cost properly allocable to the service of its officials as fiscal officer and treasurer of the joint district.
(2) Appoint one individual who is neither a county auditor nor a county treasurer, and who may be an employee of the district, to serve as both the treasurer of the district and its fiscal officer. That individual shall act as custodian of the funds of the board and the district and shall maintain all accounts of the district. Any reference in this chapter or Chapter 3734. of the Revised Code to a county auditor or county treasurer serving as fiscal officer of a district or custodian of any funds of a board or district is deemed to refer to an individual appointed under division (B)(2) of this section.
The fiscal officer of a district shall establish a general fund and any other necessary funds for the district.
(C) A board of county commissioners of a county district or board of directors of a joint district may acquire, by purchase or lease, construct, improve, enlarge, replace, maintain, and operate such solid waste collection systems within their respective districts and such solid waste facilities within or outside their respective districts as are necessary for the protection of the public health. A board of county commissioners may acquire within its county real property or any estate, interest, or right therein, by appropriation or any other method, for use by a county or joint district in connection with such facilities. Appropriation proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with sections 163.01 to 163.22 of the Revised Code.
(D) The sanitary engineer or sanitary engineering department of a county maintaining a district and any sanitary engineer or sanitary engineering department of a county in a joint district, as determined by the board of directors, in addition to other duties assigned to that engineer or department, shall assist the board of county commissioners or directors in the performance of their duties under this chapter and sections 3734.52 to 3734.575 of the Revised Code and shall be charged with any other duties and services in relation thereto that the board prescribes. A board may employ registered professional engineers to assist the sanitary engineer in those duties and also may employ financial advisers and any other professional services it considers necessary to assist it in the construction, financing, and maintenance of solid waste collection or other solid waste facilities. Such contracts of employment shall not require the certificate provided in section 5705.41 of the Revised Code. Payment for such services may be made from the general fund or any other fund legally available for that use at times that are agreed upon or as determined by the board of county commissioners or directors, and the funds may be reimbursed from the proceeds of bonds or notes issued to pay the cost of any improvement to which the services related.
(E)(1) The prosecuting attorney of the county shall serve as the legal advisor of a county district and shall provide such services to the board of county commissioners of the district as are required or authorized to be provided to other county boards under Chapter 309. of the Revised Code, except that, if the board considers it to be necessary or appropriate, the board, on its own initiative, may employ an attorney or other legal counsel on an annual basis to serve as the legal advisor of the district in place of the prosecuting attorney. When the prosecuting attorney is serving as the district's legal advisor and the board considers it to be necessary or appropriate, the board, on its own initiative, may employ an attorney or other legal counsel to represent or advise the board regarding a particular matter in place of the prosecuting attorney. The employment of an attorney or other legal counsel on an annual basis or in a particular matter is not subject to or governed by sections 305.14 and 309.09 of the Revised Code.
Notwithstanding the employment of an attorney or other legal counsel on an annual basis to serve as the district's legal advisor, the board may require written opinions or instructions from the prosecuting attorney under section 309.09 of the Revised Code in matters connected with its official duties as though the prosecuting attorney were serving as the legal advisor of the district.
(2) The board of directors of a joint district may designate the prosecuting attorney of one of the counties forming the district to serve as the legal advisor of the district. When so designated, the prosecuting attorney shall provide such services to the joint district as are required or authorized to be provided to county boards under Chapter 309. of the Revised Code. The board of directors may pay to that county any amount agreed upon by the board of directors and the board of county commissioners of that county to reimburse that county for the cost properly allocable to the services of its prosecuting attorney as the legal advisor of the joint district. When that prosecuting attorney is so serving and the board considers it to be necessary or appropriate, the board, on its own initiative, may employ an attorney or other legal counsel to represent or advise the board regarding a particular matter in place of the prosecuting attorney.
Instead of designating the prosecuting attorney of one of the counties forming the district to be the legal advisor of the district, the board of directors may employ on an annual basis an attorney or other legal counsel to serve as the district's legal advisor. Notwithstanding the employment of an attorney or other legal counsel as the district's legal advisor, the board of directors may require written opinions or instructions from the prosecuting attorney of any of the counties forming the district in matters connected with the board's official duties, and the prosecuting attorney shall provide the written opinion or instructions as though the prosecuting attorney had been designated to serve as the district's legal advisor under division (E)(2) of this section.
(F) A board of county commissioners may issue bonds or bond anticipation notes of the county to pay the cost of preparing general and detailed plans and other data required for the construction of solid waste facilities in connection with a county or joint district. A board of directors of a joint solid waste management district may issue bonds or bond anticipation notes of the joint solid waste management district to pay the cost of preparing general and detailed plans and other data required for the construction of solid waste facilities in connection with a joint district. The bonds and notes shall be issued in accordance with Chapter 133. of the Revised Code, except that the maximum maturity of bonds issued for that purpose shall not exceed ten years. Bond anticipation notes may be paid from the proceeds of bonds issued either to pay the cost of the solid waste facilities or to pay the cost of the plans and other data.
(G) To the extent authorized by the solid waste management plan of the district approved under section 3734.521 or 3734.55 of the Revised Code or subsequent amended plans of the district approved under section 3734.521 or 3734.56 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners of a county district or board of directors of a joint district may adopt, publish, and enforce rules doing any of the following:
(1) Prohibiting or limiting the receipt of solid wastes generated outside the district or outside a service area prescribed in the solid waste management plan or amended plan, at facilities located within the solid waste management district, consistent with the projections contained in the plan or amended plan under divisions (A)(6) and (7) of section 3734.53 of the Revised Code. However, rules adopted by a board under division (G)(1) of this section may be adopted and enforced with respect to solid waste disposal facilities in the solid waste management district that are not owned by a county or the solid waste management district only if the board submits an application to the director of environmental protection that demonstrates that there is insufficient capacity to dispose of all solid wastes that are generated within the district at the solid waste disposal facilities located within the district and the director approves the application. The demonstration in the application shall be based on projections contained in the plan or amended plan of the district. The director shall establish the form of the application. The approval or disapproval of such an application by the director is an action that is appealable under section 3745.04 of the Revised Code.
In addition, the director of environmental protection may issue an order modifying a rule adopted under division (G)(1) of this section to allow the disposal in the district of solid wastes from another county or joint solid waste management district if all of the following apply:
(a) The district in which the wastes were generated does not have sufficient capacity to dispose of solid wastes generated within it for six months following the date of the director's order.
(b) No new solid waste facilities will begin operation during those six months in the district in which the wastes were generated and, despite good faith efforts to do so, it is impossible to site new solid waste facilities within the district because of its high population density.
(c) The district in which the wastes were generated has made good faith efforts to negotiate with other districts to incorporate its disposal needs within those districts' solid waste management plans, including efforts to develop joint facilities authorized under section 343.02 of the Revised Code, and the efforts have been unsuccessful.
(d) The district in which the wastes were generated has located a facility willing to accept the district's solid wastes for disposal within the receiving district.
(e) The district in which the wastes were generated has demonstrated to the director that the conditions specified in divisions (G)(1)(a) to (d) of this section have been met.
(f) The director finds that the issuance of the order will be consistent with the state solid waste management plan and that receipt of the out-of-district wastes will not limit the capacity of the receiving district to dispose of its in-district wastes to less than eight years.
Any order issued under division (G)(1) of this section shall not become final until thirty days after it has been served upon the county or joint solid waste management district that will receive the out-of-district wastes either by certified mail or, if the director has record of an internet identifier of record associated with the district, by ordinary mail and by that internet identifier of record.
(2) Governing the maintenance, protection, and use of solid waste collection or other solid waste facilities located within its district. The rules adopted under division (G)(2) of this section shall not establish design standards for solid waste facilities and shall be consistent with the solid waste provisions of Chapter 3734. of the Revised Code and the rules adopted under those provisions. The rules adopted under division (G)(2) of this section may prohibit any person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision from constructing, enlarging, or modifying any solid waste facility until general plans and specifications for the proposed improvement have been submitted to and approved by the board of county commissioners or board of directors as complying with the solid waste management plan or amended plan of the district. The construction of such a facility shall be done under the supervision of the county sanitary engineer or, in the case of a joint district, a county sanitary engineer designated by the board of directors, and any person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision proposing or constructing such improvements shall pay to the county or joint district all expenses incurred by the board in connection therewith. The sanitary engineer may enter upon any public or private property for the purpose of making surveys or examinations necessary for designing solid waste facilities or for supervising the construction, enlargement, modification, or operation of any such facilities. No person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision shall forbid or interfere with the sanitary engineer or the sanitary engineer's authorized assistants entering upon such property for that purpose. If actual damage is done to property by the making of the surveys and examinations, a board shall pay the reasonable value of that damage to the owner of the property damaged, and the cost shall be included in the financing of the improvement for which the surveys and examinations are made.
(3) Governing the development and implementation of a program for the inspection of solid wastes generated outside the boundaries of this state that are disposed of at solid waste facilities included in the district's solid waste management plan or amended plan. A board of county commissioners or board of directors or its authorized representative may enter upon the premises of any solid waste facility included in the district's solid waste management plan or amended plan for the purpose of conducting the inspections required or authorized by the rules adopted under division (G)(3) of this section. No person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision shall forbid or interfere with a board of county commissioners or directors or its authorized representative entering upon the premises of any such solid waste facility for that purpose.
(4) Exempting the owner or operator of any existing or proposed solid waste facility provided for in the plan or amended plan from compliance with any amendment to a township zoning resolution adopted under section 519.12 of the Revised Code or to a county rural zoning resolution adopted under section 303.12 of the Revised Code that rezoned or redistricted the parcel or parcels upon which the facility is to be constructed or modified and that became effective within two years prior to the filing of an application for a permit required under division (A)(2)(a) of section 3734.05 of the Revised Code to open a new or modify an existing solid waste facility.
(H) A board of county commissioners or board of directors may enter into a contract with any person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision for the operation and maintenance of any solid waste facilities regardless of whether the facilities are owned or leased by the county or joint district or the contractor.
(I)(1) No person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision shall tamper with or damage any solid waste facility constructed under this chapter or any apparatus or accessory connected therewith or pertaining thereto, fail or refuse to comply with the applicable rules adopted by a board of county commissioners or directors under division (G)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section, refuse to permit an inspection or examination by a sanitary engineer as authorized under division (G)(2) of this section, or refuse to permit an inspection by a board of county commissioners or directors or its authorized representative as required or authorized by rules adopted under division (G)(3) of this section.
(2) If the board of county commissioners of a county district or board of directors of a joint district has established facility designations under section 343.013, 343.014, or 343.015 of the Revised Code, or the director has established facility designations in the initial or amended plan of the district prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code, no person, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision shall deliver, or cause the delivery of, any solid wastes generated within a county or joint district to any solid waste facility other than the facility designated under section 343.013, 343.014, or 343.015 of the Revised Code, or in the initial or amended plan of the district prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code, as applicable, except that source separated recyclable materials may be taken to any legitimate recycling facility. Upon the request of a person or the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or township, the board of county commissioners of a county district or board of directors of a joint district may grant a waiver authorizing the delivery of all or any portion of the solid wastes generated in a municipal corporation or township to a solid waste facility other than the facility designated under section 343.013, 343.014, or 343.015 of the Revised Code, or in the initial or amended plan of the district prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code, as applicable, regardless of whether the other facility is located within or outside of the district, if the board finds that delivery of those solid wastes to the other facility is not inconsistent with the projections contained in the district's initial or amended plan under divisions (A)(6) and (7) of section 3734.53 of the Revised Code as approved or ordered to be implemented and will not adversely affect the implementation and financing of the district's initial or amended plan pursuant to the implementation schedule contained in it under divisions (A)(12)(a) to (d) of that section. The board shall act on a request for such a waiver within ninety days after receiving the request. Upon granting such a waiver, the board shall send notice of that fact to the director. The notice shall indicate to whom the waiver was granted. Any waiver or authorization granted by a board on or before October 29, 1993, shall continue in force until the board takes action concerning the same entity under this division or until action is taken under division (G) of section 343.014 of the Revised Code.
(J) Divisions (G)(1) to (4) and (I)(2) of this section do not apply to the construction, operation, use, repair, enlargement, or modification of either of the following:
(1) A solid waste facility owned by a generator of solid wastes when the solid waste facility exclusively disposes of solid wastes generated at one or more premises owned by the generator regardless of whether the facility is located on a premises where the wastes are generated;
(2) A facility that exclusively disposes of wastes that are generated from the combustion of coal, or from the combustion of primarily coal in combination with scrap tires, that is not combined in any way with garbage at one or more premises owned by the generator.
(K)(1) A member of the board of county commissioners of a county solid waste management district, member of the board of directors of a joint solid waste management district, member of the board of trustees of a regional solid waste management authority managing a county or joint solid waste management district, or officer or employee of any solid waste management district, for the purposes of sections 102.03, 102.04, 2921.41, and 2921.42 of the Revised Code, shall not be considered to be directly or indirectly interested in, or improperly influenced by, any of the following:
(a) A contract entered into under this chapter or section 307.15 or sections 3734.52 to 3734.575 of the Revised Code between the district and any county forming the district, municipal corporation or township located within the district, or health district having territorial jurisdiction within the district, of which that member, officer, or employee also is an officer or employee, but only to the extent that any interest or influence could arise from holding public office or employment with the political subdivision or health district;
(b) A contract entered into under this chapter or section 307.15 or sections 3734.52 to 3734.575 of the Revised Code between the district and a county planning commission organized under section 713.22 of the Revised Code, or regional planning commission created under section 713.21 of the Revised Code, having territorial jurisdiction within the district, of which that member also is a member, officer, or employee, but only to the extent that any interest or influence could arise from holding public office or employment with the commission;
(c) An expenditure of money made by the district for the benefit of any county forming the district, municipal corporation or township located within the district, or health district or county or regional planning commission having territorial jurisdiction within the district, of which that member also is a member, officer, or employee, but only to the extent that any interest or influence could arise from holding public office or employment with the political subdivision, health district, or commission;
(d) An expenditure of money made for the benefit of the district by any county forming the district, municipal corporation or township located within the district, or health district or county or regional planning commission having territorial jurisdiction within the district, of which that member also is a member, officer, or employee, but only to the extent that any interest or influence could arise from holding public office or employment with the political subdivision, health district, or commission.
(2) A solid waste management district, county, municipal corporation, township, health district, or planning commission described or referred to in divisions (K)(1)(a) to (d) of this section shall not be construed to be the business associate of a person who is concurrently a member of the board of county commissioners, directors, or trustees, or an officer or employee, of the district and an officer or employee of that municipal corporation, county, township, health district, or planning commission for the purposes of sections 102.03, 2921.42, and 2921.43 of the Revised Code. Any person who is concurrently a member of the board of county commissioners, directors, or trustees, or an officer or employee, of a solid waste management district so described or referred to and an officer or employee of a county, municipal corporation, township, health district, or planning commission so described or referred to may participate fully in deliberations concerning and vote on or otherwise participate in the approval or disapproval of any contract or expenditure of funds described in those divisions as a member of the board of county commissioners or directors, or an officer or employee, of a county or joint solid waste management district; member of the board of trustees, or an officer or employee, of a regional solid waste management authority managing a county or joint solid waste management district; member of the legislative authority, or an officer or employee, of a county forming the district; member of the legislative authority, or an officer or employee, of a municipal corporation or township located within the district; member of the board of health, or an officer or employee, of a health district having territorial jurisdiction within the district; or member of the planning commission, or an officer or employee of a county or regional planning commission having territorial jurisdiction within the district.
(3) Nothing in division (K)(1) or (2) of this section shall be construed to exempt any member of the board of county commissioners, directors, or trustees, or an officer or employee, of a solid waste management district from a conflict of interest arising because of a personal or private business interest.
(4) A member of the board of county commissioners of a county solid waste management district, board of directors of a joint solid waste management district, or board of trustees of a regional solid waste management authority managing a county or joint solid waste management district, or an officer or employee, of any such solid waste management district, neither shall be disqualified from holding any other public office or position of employment nor be required to forfeit any other public office or position of employment by reason of serving as a member of the board of county commissioners, directors, or trustees, or as an officer or employee, of the district, notwithstanding any requirement to the contrary under the common law of this state or the Revised Code.
(L) As used in this chapter:
(1) "Board of health," "disposal," "health district," "scrap tires," and "solid waste transfer facility" have the same meanings as in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Change in district composition" and "change" have the same meaning as in section 3734.521 of the Revised Code.
(3)(a) Except as provided in division (L)(3)(b) or (c), and (d), of this section, "solid wastes" has the same meaning as in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code.
(b) If the solid waste management district is not one that resulted from proceedings for a change in district composition under sections 343.012 and 3734.521 of the Revised Code, until such time as an amended solid waste management plan is approved under section 3734.56 of the Revised Code, "solid wastes" need not include scrap tires unless the solid waste management policy committee established under section 3734.54 of the Revised Code for the district chooses to include the management of scrap tires in the district's initial solid waste management plan prepared under sections 3734.54 and 3734.55 of the Revised Code.
(c) If the solid waste management district is one resulting from proceedings for a change in district composition under sections 343.012 and 3734.521 of the Revised Code and if the change involves an existing district that is operating under either an initial solid waste management plan approved or prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.55 of the Revised Code or an initial or amended plan approved or prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code that does not provide for the management of scrap tires and scrap tire facilities, until such time as the amended plan of the district resulting from the change is approved under section 3734.56 of the Revised Code, "solid wastes" need not include scrap tires unless the solid waste management policy committee established under division (C) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code for the district chooses to include the management of scrap tires in the district's initial or amended solid waste management plan prepared under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code in connection with the change proceedings.
(d) If the policy committee chooses to include the management of scrap tires in an initial plan prepared under sections 3734.54 and 3734.55 of the Revised Code or in an initial or amended plan prepared under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners or directors shall execute all of the duties imposed and may exercise any or all of the rights granted under this section for the purpose of managing solid wastes that consist of scrap tires.
(4)(a) Except as provided in division (L)(4)(b) or (c), and (d) of this section, "facility" has the same meaning as in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code and also includes any solid waste transfer, recycling, or resource recovery facility.
(b) If the solid waste management district is not one that resulted from proceedings for a change in district composition under sections 343.012 and 3734.521 of the Revised Code, until such time as an amended solid waste management plan is approved under section 3734.56 of the Revised Code, "facility" need not include any scrap tire collection, storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility unless the solid waste management policy committee established under section 3734.54 of the Revised Code for the district chooses to include the management of scrap tire facilities in the district's initial solid waste management plan prepared under sections 3734.54 and 3734.55 of the Revised Code.
(c) If the solid waste management district is one resulting from proceedings for a change in district composition under sections 343.012 and 3734.521 of the Revised Code and if the change involves an existing district that is operating under either an initial solid waste management plan approved under section 3734.55 of the Revised Code or an initial or amended plan approved or prepared and ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code that does not provide for the management of scrap tires and scrap tire facilities, until such time as the amended plan of the district resulting from the change is approved under section 3734.56 of the Revised Code, "facility" need not include scrap tires unless the solid waste management policy committee established under division (C) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code for the district chooses to include the management of scrap tires in the district's initial or amended solid waste management plan prepared under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code in connection with the change proceedings.
(d) If the policy committee chooses to include the management of scrap tires in an initial plan prepared under sections 3734.54 and 3734.55 of the Revised Code or in an initial or amended plan prepared under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners or directors shall execute all of the duties imposed and may exercise any or all of the rights granted under this section for the purpose of managing solid waste facilities that are scrap tire collection, storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facilities.
(M) As used in this section:
(1) "Source separated recyclable materials" means materials that are separated from other solid wastes at the location where the materials are generated for the purpose of recycling the materials at a legitimate recycling facility.
(2) "Legitimate recycling facility" has the same meaning as in rule 3745-27-01 of the Administrative Code.
(3) "Internet identifier of record" has the same meaning as in section 9.312 of the Revised Code.