Litter Landing may move

Litter Landing recycling center could be relocating to Hancock County-owned land along the west side of County Road 140, County Commissioner Timothy Bechtol said Friday. "We're talking about a new site for Litter Landing and probably a new name to go along with that," Bechtol said in a presentation to local Republicans at the First Friday Luncheon. The county owns nearly 200 acres of farm land west of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, County Agricultural Service Center and County Job and Family Services. Litter Landing has outgrown its existing location at 1720 E. Sandusky St. It draws triple the traffic for which it was designed, Bechtol said. County officials want to expand the operation, adding conveyors, truck loading docks and space for collection of household hazardous waste and tires. Land behind the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will become the site this year of a 300-foot communications tower for the Sheriff's Office and other county needs, Bechtol said. Estimated to cost about $900,000, it would replace a 140-foot tower north of the County Justice Center, where the commissioners are planning to build the new Juvenile/Probate Court building. Separately, Bechtol said that although county sales tax revenue declined by nearly 4.7% in January and February, he is confident it will rebound. The 1% county sales tax — which provides about 60% of county general fund revenue — grew by 23% from 2016 to 2022. The tax generated $18.3 million in 2022.