Beloit council approves five-year landfill disposal agreement with Janesville

The Beloit City Council approved a five-year landfill disposal agreement with the City of Janesville that takes effect Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2030, with an option to renew for another five years. The council voted to adopt Resolution 2025117 during its meeting; the motion passed after a second and an aye vote with no recorded opposition.

The agreement sets a tiered tipping fee schedule that starts at the current $19.50 per ton for the remainder of this year and rises to $23.50 per ton in 2026, $25.50 in 2027, $27.50 in 2028, $29.50 in 2029 and $31.50 in 2030. City staff said the contract also preserves an additional Wisconsin DNR fee of $13 per ton that Beloit pays separately. Janesville will continue to bill a gate rate for biosolids outside the negotiated municipal rate; staff said the current gate rate is $42 per ton and that Janesville requested a limit of two biosolids loads per week.

City staff described the increase as aligning Beloit’s rates with other Janesville municipal customers after historically favorable pricing. In presenting the item, staff compared alternatives and said private disposal options would cost substantially more, citing figures of roughly $72 to $78 per ton for other landfills and longer haul times.

Councilor Foreback asked whether cities ever build their own landfills; staff responded that regulation, long-term ownership liability and cost make that impractical. Staff also noted the agreement requires Beloit to deliver approximately 95% of its base volume to Janesville under the contract terms.

Council members said the contract, despite apparent steep increases over the term, remains significantly less costly than the other disposal options staff considered. The council indicated the contract will be reflected in the upcoming operating budget through a proposed $2 monthly solid-waste fee increase and may support a related capital improvement project.

The council motion to approve was made by Councilor Blakely and seconded by Councilor Dentsch; the resolution number referenced in the meeting was Resolution 2025117. No roll-call tally with individual votes was recorded in the transcript; the motion carried after the meeting chair announced all in favor.

The agreement preserves Janesville’s operational hours and includes updated language to reflect Janesville’s practices for special waste. Staff said they considered out-of-jurisdiction landfills and private haulers but concluded the Janesville contract remained the most cost-effective option.