Ramsey and Washington counties have succeeded in whittling back the purchase price of a garbage recycling plant in Newport, and seem ready to buy it despite misgivings about the technology.
A board consisting of commissioners from both counties agreed almost unanimously Thursday to recommend spending $24.4 million to buy the plant, if a series of conditions is met by December.
That’s less than the $26.4 million, plus the current owner’s capital expenses, that an arbitrator had ruled was fair. Commissioners complained that the price seemed high for a facility with no other obvious buyer, and had pushed back the purchase to allow time for further talks.