Lorita "Tweety" Humble, a volunteer who said she began pursuing curbside recycling at Lake Cavanaugh in 2013, told Skagit County commissioners on Oct. 14 that the project has been delayed by frequent staff turnover and unclear program designations.

Humble said she and a co‑volunteer documented years of correspondence with county and regional officials and private haulers and remains frustrated that the project has not moved forward. She said Waste Management representative Amy Lewis will meet this Friday with county staff members Mike and Margo to discuss next steps, and she thanked Commissioner Janicki for suggesting starting Lake Cavanaugh first and expanding service to the county’s east side later.

Humble disputed a characterization from the county’s public works meeting that the Lake Cavanaugh effort is a “pilot” that would take four years. She said curbside recycling is an established service, not a pilot program, and that prior technical work and outreach done between 2013 and 2019 eliminated the need for feasibility studies she describes as redundant.

Humble listed past contacts she said she had documented while pursuing the project, including Eddie Nertson with Skagit County Public Works; Marco Gillespie, listed in the meeting as Solid Waste Division manager; Dominic Calabrio, identified as Materials Management stewardship (U.S. EPA); Diana Wadley of the Washington Department of Ecology; John Cupp at UTC; and Alan Garvey at Waste Management. She asked the commissioners to help move the project forward so residents at Lake Cavanaugh would have curbside recycling without further multi‑year delay.

No formal action to change county policy or to direct staff was recorded on the meeting agenda; Humble’s remarks were entered into the public comment record.