12-8-26. Public meetings on site selection; notice; decision.

Any county, municipality, group of counties, or government authority beginning a process to select a site on which such county, municipality, group of counties, or government authority intends to own or operate a municipal solid waste disposal facility must first call at least one public meeting to discuss waste management needs of the local government or region and to describe the process of siting facilities to the public. Notice of this meeting shall be published within a newspaper of general circulation serving such county or municipality at least 14 days and again at least seven days immediately preceding the date of such meeting. A regional solid waste management authority created under Part 2 of this article must hold at least one meeting within each jurisdiction participating in such authority, and notice for these meetings must be published within a newspaper of general circulation serving each such jurisdiction at least 14 days and again at least seven days immediately preceding the date of such meeting.#

Before a host local government verifies in writing that a proposed new public or private municipal solid waste disposal facility or a major modification expanding the permit boundaries of an existing facility is consistent with the local, multijurisdictional, or regional solid waste management plan adopted by the host local government and local zoning or land use ordinances, as required by subsection (g) of Code Section 12-8-24, the governing authority of the host local government shall comply with the notice and meeting requirements set forth in this part. Prior to issuing written verification, such governing authority shall cause a notice of the meeting at which the public will be informed of the proposed new facility or major modification expanding the permit boundaries of an existing facility to be published in a newspaper of general circulation serving such local government. The meeting notice shall be published at least 14 days and again at least seven days preceding the date of such meeting. The meeting notice shall identify the governing authority of the host local government jurisdiction that will conduct the meeting and shall include the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. During the meeting on the proposed new facility or major modification expanding the permit boundaries of an existing facility, the governing authority of the host local government shall inform the public of:#

1. (1)

   The location of the proposed new facility or major modification expanding the permit boundaries of an existing facility;#

2. (2)

   The type of facility and operations proposed; and#

3. (3)

   The process by which such governing authority shall provide the written verification described in subsection (g) of Code Section 12-8-24.#

Any county, municipality, group of counties, or authority beginning a process to select a site for a municipal solid waste disposal facility must first call at least one public meeting to discuss waste management needs of the local government or region and to describe the process of siting facilities to the public. Notice of this meeting shall be published within a newspaper of general circulation serving such county or municipality at least once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date of such meeting. A regional solid waste management authority created under Part 2 of this article must hold at least one meeting within each jurisdiction participating in such authority, and notice for these meetings must be published within a newspaper of general circulation serving each such jurisdiction at least once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date of such meeting.#

The governing authority of any county or municipality taking action resulting in a publicly or privately owned municipal solid waste disposal facility siting decision shall cause to be published within a newspaper of general circulation serving such county or municipality a notice of the meeting at which such siting decision is to be made at least once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date of such meeting. Such notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the meeting and the meeting shall be conducted by the governing authority taking the action. A siting decision shall include, but is not limited to, such activities as the final selection of property for landfilling and the execution of contracts or agreements pertaining to the location of municipal solid waste disposal facilities within the jurisdiction, but shall not include zoning decisions.#