The Pulaski County Board of Commissioners asked county staff to draft a request for proposal (RFP) to seek private or alternative operators for the county’s Recycling and Transfer Station as officials and a regional solid-waste representative described persistent annual deficits and operational challenges.
The request matters because county officials reported multi-year operating shortfalls at the recycling and transfer facility and residents and staff warned that privatization could raise user costs, affect recycling availability for towns that currently lack service, and complicate permits and continuity of service.
Commissioners reviewed financial figures presented by county staff. Theresa provided receipts and expense data that showed a 2023 operating deficit for recycling and transfer operations of roughly $74,320, a 2024 deficit of about $78,000, and a deficit of roughly $66,000 for the first six months of 2025. County staff recommended exploring whether a private operator could manage the operation more efficiently; Commissioner Jacob (staff) moved that the county prepare an RFP to seek alternative operators and test the market. The motion passed on a voice vote; commissioners set an internal deadline for staff and asked Transfer Station manager John (present at the meeting) to provide numbers and options by the first Monday in October (October 6).
Representatives from Northwest Indiana solid-waste discussed regional services and grants. The district representative said the district provides services (including electronics and tire disposals and some annual grant funding) that reduce county costs, and cautioned that private operators commonly eliminate recycling or raise fees to cover transport and permit costs. The representative said counties in the district typically cannot transfer state permits directly to a private operator and that a private replacement would have to reapply for permits and meet state requirements, lengthening the transition time.
Transfer Station staff explained operational constraints, including collection costs and local drop-off behavior that affects recycling quality; they said some small town recycling boxes attract contamination and dumping. Staff said they receive a district grant (cited as about $32,000 annually) that supports recycling operations and that tire and electronics disposal and special events are district-supported services the county benefits from as a member.
Commissioners asked Transfer Station manager John to calculate what per-pound or per-ton fees would be required for the county to reach a net-zero operating balance, and asked him to return with proposals and data at the October meeting. The board did not obligate the county to accept any external proposals; the RFP is intended to gather options and pricing for comparison.