Smithville delays decision on proposed transfer station after questions about odors, runoff and daily cleanup

The Smithville Board of Aldermen on Tuesday postponed consideration of Bill 3060-25, a conditional‑use permit requested to operate a commercial transfer station at 14820 Industrial Drive, after aldermen raised questions about daily cleanup, wastewater handling and odors.

The delay gives board members time to review technical materials and the EPA guidance distributed by Alderman Wilson and to return with additional questions at the board's next meeting. Alderman Wilson moved to postpone; the motion passed on a roll call vote with six ayes and no no votes.

Why it matters: transfer stations accept, compact and temporarily store municipal solid waste before hauling it to a landfill. Neighbors and elected officials frequently press for detailed controls on odor, stormwater and wastewater so operations do not affect nearby businesses or residences.

David Finkie, the applicant and local business owner, told the board his firm plans to accept primarily C and D waste and described measures he says are planned to limit on‑site exposure and runoff. “We do have…we are putting a drain system in,” Finkie said, and added the system will route wash water to an outside container with an oil‑and‑sand filter rather than into the stormwater or sewer system. “That tank will not go back into the stormwater or the sewer system,” he said. Finkie said the tank would be pumped out and hauled to Kansas City wastewater treatment as needed and that the state would test that water, typically quarterly.

Alderman Wilson, who had supplied an EPA solid‑waste guidance document to the board, questioned the facility's daily cleanup plan and asked whether the operators could ensure no waste remained on site after hours. “Do you have the capabilities of washing down your pits?” he asked. Finkie responded that tipping and loading operations would be continuous during operating hours, that trailers would be tarped inside the building before leaving for Johnson County Landfill, and that the facility would be swept during the week and sanitized on Saturdays as required by state rules.

Board members also heard from a public commenter and from the applicants, who said uncertainty at the regional facility named in their remarks — described in the meeting as “Saint Julienfeld” — is driving local demand for an additional transfer option. Finkie said the proposal is intended to keep costs down and provide nearer service to area residents and businesses.

Formal action and next steps: Alderman Wilson moved to postpone consideration of Bill 3060-25 until the board's next regular meeting to allow time for further review and research. The clerk called the roll; Alderman Russell, Alderman Hartman, Alderman Wilson, Alderman Atkins, Alderman Kabilski and Alderman Shipley voted aye. The motion carried and the board preserved the public comment cards for the next meeting.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: Approved by voice vote earlier in the meeting (no detailed roll call recorded). - Bill 3060-25 (conditional‑use permit for transfer station at 14820 Industrial Drive): Postponed to the next meeting; motion to postpone by Alderman Wilson; roll call vote 6–0 (ayes: Russell, Hartman, Wilson, Atkins, Kabilski, Shipley). Public comment cards retained for next meeting. - Annual appointments (recorded during the meeting): Mayor pro tem — Alderman Atkins appointed (vote: 5 ayes, 0 nos, 1 abstention); Planning & Zoning representative — Alderman Wilson appointed (5–0–1 abstain); Parks & Recreation representative — Alderman Shipley continues (5–0–1 abstain); Economic development representative — Alderman Kabilski appointed (4–0 with two abstentions). (Roll call details are in the meeting minutes.)

Context from the city administrator's report: City Administrator Miss Wagner told the board that collections for Proposition P — a recently passed public safety sales tax measure — will not begin until Oct. 1 and that Smithville should begin to see related revenue flow back to the city starting in 2026 after state processing and distribution. Wagner also flagged sewer service line repairs downtown for which estimates exceeded her expenditure authority; staff plan to bundle that work as an addendum to a downtown project that already has an open bid and will return to the board for a budget amendment before awarding the work.

Other items discussed briefly at the meeting included planning‑and‑zoning updates on multiple development sites (Clay Creek Meadows, the 110 Smithville project, Richardson Street Plaza and a possible phase 2 of Fairview Crossings), a GFL annual solid waste report and recent household hazardous waste and e‑waste collection events (Wagner said more than 300 cars attended the household hazardous waste collection). Jamie Cole of BG Consultants introduced his firm and said a permanent office is under construction at Richardson Plaza.

The board scheduled further review of the proposed transfer station and directed staff to keep the matter on the upcoming agenda so members may consider additional technical documentation and public comments before final action.