Bonner County staff present tire disposal cost estimate; commissioners agree to unify rates

Bob Howard, director of Solid Waste, told the Bonner County commissioners that staff had estimated the county’s current tire disposal cost and proposed changes to tracking and fees. "Thank you, commissioners. Bob Howard, director as always for the record," he said at the start of the discussion. County staff said they do not currently track individual tires sold or accepted at sites and instead estimated volumes by counting roll-off hauls over recent months. Melissa, a Solid Waste staff member, described the method: she counted hauls at site roll-off trailers, estimated loads for six-, nine- and 12‑month periods, added mileage and staff time, and used average diesel and labor rates to calculate disposal cost. The staff estimate of total tire disposal cost for the period reviewed was $100,208.24; Melissa told commissioners that converting passenger tires to tons (100 passenger tires ≈ 1 ton) produced an approximate figure of 35,000 passenger tires hauled in the period used for the estimate. Based on the cost breakdown, staff recommended a baseline disposal fee of about $3 per tire without a rim and a higher fee for tires with rims. Commissioners discussed size categories for tires (passenger, large truck, and oversize/off‑road/industrial) and asked staff to clarify cutoffs by tire diameter rather than by vehicle type; staff proposed using 22 inches as a threshold for “large” truck tires and a separate category for off‑road/industrial oversized tires. Commissioners asked that rates be consistent between residential and commercial customers to simplify receipts and accounting. Staff said the department will move to a point‑of‑sale (POS) tracking system so future counts and revenue reconciliations are accurate. Commissioners directed staff to incorporate the $3 (no‑rim) / $10 (with rim) baseline into the fee schedule as the working assumption, to define size categories by tire diameter, and to include fuel and labor escalation in next fiscal‑year planning. The discussion ended with staff assigned to refine the size definitions, finalize a fee table for tire classes, and implement POS tracking to produce precise volumes and costs going forward.