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Commissioners debate charging for tire disposal, tracking costs and possible sticker tokens
Summary
Bonner County commissioners discussed whether tire disposal should remain covered by the residential fee or be charged separately; staff were asked to calculate the county’s actual tire-disposal cost and to propose tracking or token options if tires are to be limited within the annual sticker program.
Bonner County commissioners on Oct. 5 pressed solid waste staff for precise cost data on tire disposal and discussed proposals to charge residents for tires rather than absorb the cost under the $194 household fee.
The question matters because commissioners said county residents are effectively subsidizing the disposal of tires and other non-household waste when those costs are carried inside the flat annual fee.
Operations Manager Melissa Galt said the county has handled wheel and tire disposal at collection sites and provided a proposed fee structure discussed at prior meetings: for residential customers the first two passenger tires would be no-fee and additional passenger tires would carry a charge (proposal examples in workshop notes included $2–$20 depending on category); large and oversized tires would be charged at higher rates (examples discussed: $50–$100 depending on rim and size). Galt said the department recorded 349 tires handled so far (as stated during the meeting) and that staff do not currently track the total number of tires per customer or maintain a formal per-customer count.
Commissioners argued that tire disposal is not “household” refuse in the way the $194 fee was intended, and that the county should either charge an accurate per-tire cost or create a token system tied to the annual sticker so residents receive a limited number of tire-disposal “credits” with their annual fee. One commissioner suggested issuing a set of numbered or punched tokens with stickers (e.g., four tokens per household) to be turned in for each tire; staff discussed options such as printing unique tokens or a punch-card tied to the sticker mailing to limit abuse and discourage out-of-county dumping.
No fee was set. Commissioners directed staff to calculate the county’s actual cost of tire disposal (including contractor hauling, staff labor and haul fees) and to return with options including a token system, a separate tire-disposal sticker, or charging per tire based on actual cost. Staff also noted that a point-of-sale (POS) system could help track usage and plate numbers at sites, and that staff are evaluating POS and tracking vendors; staff reported plans to demo systems and coordinate with neighboring counties pursuing similar tools.
Commissioners emphasized that any change should be transparent, based on verified costs, and paired with enforcement or verification procedures to reduce cross-border or commercial misuse.
