The Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority heard detailed reports of repeated thefts and vandalism at the county transfer station and directed staff to assemble options to strengthen security, including cost estimates and a proposal to return at the November meeting.

Board members described multiple break‑ins this year at the transfer station scale house and hazardous‑waste building and said the incidents are costing the authority and its contractor. Director Ted (last name not specified) reported an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and other items were taken; he said video footage was shared with the sheriff’s office and an individual was apprehended, though he had no further details. Director Ted said the AED replacement value was “somewhere over $500” and later clarified the original purchase cost was substantially higher.

The board pressed staff for stronger measures to make the transfer station “not an easy target.” Commissioners recommended fences, gates, barbed‑wire topping, hardening doors and 24/7 monitoring systems. Multiple speakers described recent damage to security doors and repeated monthly incidents. Director Ted told the board he would pursue security options and work with county law enforcement and legal counsel “in a way that does not broadcast [vulnerabilities] to the general public.” He said he would present options and cost estimates at a future meeting, and commissioners asked that the report include several years of loss figures and losses reported by the contractor (Hambro/Hamburg WSG, contractor name referenced in the meeting).

Board members and other speakers also discussed mobile and AI‑assisted monitoring systems that offer 24/7 monitoring, animal detection filters and live operator feeds; attendees noted those systems can detect license plates and provide real‑time alerts but carry subscription and monitoring costs. The board discussed creating an ad‑hoc group or authorizing staff to gather pricing and options; Director Ted said he would coordinate with Joel (contractor representative) and Andrew Butcher to draft recommendations.

The authority did not approve specific purchases at the meeting. Staff will gather cost estimates, loss histories (multiple years), and security options and present them to the board for consideration at a future meeting, with a November deadline discussed as acceptable by some members.

Ending: The authority left the matter open for staff analysis and directed staff to return with a clear menu of security options, estimated costs and loss history so the board can consider targeted security measures and potential procurement steps.