Dive summary:

• A group in Richmond, Ind. is pushing for the city to not collect any landfill fees from any project that is deemed beneficiary to the city.
• The city has a number of abandoned or unsafe buildings and other eyesores that should be taken down but no one has been doing it, in part due to the expense of cleaning up all that debris.
• The city director of metropolitan development estimates that it costs between $7,000 and $8,000 to tear down a property, half of which goes to landfill fees.

From the article:

If council members are willing to waive the fees on this material, it would allow us to tear down more dilapidated and abandoned houses,” said city attorney Walt Chidester.

The Richmond Sanitary District Board of Commissioners sets the landfill fees but council members approve those fees. The ordinance, if passed, would allow the sanitary board to waive the fees but only if it is done by unanimous vote. ...