Bonner County commissioners approve revised solid-waste fees, keep household sticker rate unchanged

Bonner County commissioners voted to approve proposed changes to the county's solid-waste fee schedule and directed staff to begin administrative steps to implement the new rates, with a planned effective date of Dec. 1, 2025.

The board's action keeps the annual household sticker at $194 but raises or clarifies per-item and commercial charges, increases minimum yardage for several categories, revises fees for tires and CRT televisions, and narrows the circumstances in which a replacement sticker can be issued for a $5 fee. Commissioner Williams, explaining the board's reasoning during the public hearing, said, "If we don't do that, then what's happening is we're actually asking all of the other taxpayers in the county to subsidize the cost of waste processing when we're undercharging."

The vote followed a public hearing at which site attendants and residents described enforcement and equity concerns. Laura Braniff, a site attendant who works at the Clark Fork site, said she had seen commercial garbage dumped using a residential sticker and told the board, "I saw approximately $540 of commercial garbage get dumped using a 2025 sticker." Residents also urged the board to consider the impact on fixed-income and rural households that use the county's unmanned sites.

Why it matters: The change aims to align charges with the county's actual disposal and transport costs, according to staff and commissioners, and to keep the household sticker stable by moving variable, higher-cost items out of the flat annual fee. Commissioners said the county ships most municipal waste out of state, and fluctuating fuel and hauling costs drive disposal expenses.

Key provisions discussed and included in the approved package: the household sticker remains $194 and continues to cover up to 3 cubic yards per day; the proposed change reduces the availability of inexpensive extra stickers and applies full charge logic for additional users or larger-volume non-household items. Tires: for passenger tires up to 22 inches the existing "first four tires no fee" practice is retained, but per-tire charges for additional tires and rimed tires were clarified (proposed without rim $5 each, with rim $10 each for some categories; large truck and oversized tires retain higher fixed fees). CRT televisions and monitors are separated by size with proposed fees of $15 for screens up to 32 inches and $30 for larger units. Construction and demolition debris minimums were raised from a half-yard minimum to a 1-yard minimum for several categories.

The board emphasized two exceptions for sticker replacement: the county will allow a $5 replacement when a vehicle is damaged and the sticker is destroyed, but only with documentary proof (insurance or repair evidence). "We are gonna ask for proof of that," a commissioner said during the hearing, explaining the measure is to reduce abuse and resale of stickers outside the county.

Public comment and operational concerns: Site attendants and residents warned that raising the per-visit non-sticker fee (from the current $5 level under some categories) could prompt illegal dumping or other unintended behavior at unmanned sites. Commissioners and staff noted ongoing work on outreach, a staffed rollout at high-use sites, a scripted explanation for attendants to use with the public, and possible future technical solutions (point-of-sale, scales or vehicle identification) to reduce leakage and abuse. Staff noted that waste is transferred to Colburn and then hauled to a landfill in Adams County, Washington, making haul costs a material portion of the county's disposal expense.

Board action and next steps: The board voted to approve the fee changes and start administrative implementation now; it did not adopt the formal resolution during the hearing because the county prosecutor had not had sufficient time to review the late-submitted draft. Commissioners said the resolution will be presented for formal adoption at the next business meeting. Commissioner Williams invited residents with concerns to contact the board directly and emphasized the board's goal of protecting the household sticker rate.

Votes at a glance: On the motion "to approve the proposed fee changes to take effect 12/01/2025 for the Bonner County solid waste as indicated in our spreadsheet," the board approved the motion by roll call. Commissioner Meade: yes; Commissioner Gopnik: yes; Commissioner Stern: yes. The motion carried.

The board and Solid Waste staff said they will proceed with public outreach, refine site-level procedures (especially at unmanned sites such as Lakeview and Clark Fork), and return with the formal resolution for adoption at the next meeting.

Ending note: Commissioners acknowledged that the changes will be unpopular with some residents but framed them as a measure to better match charges to disposal costs and to limit cross-subsidies between households and higher-cost disposers or out-of-county users.