Flathead County solid waste budget would spend reserves on new landfill liner, leachate pond; staff additions requested

Flathead County solid waste staff told county commissioners April 30 that the department’s fiscal 2026 budget projects $15.3 million in revenue and includes a $4.5 million transfer from reserves to pay for three near-term projects, including a leachate pond and work on a future landfill liner. Solid Waste Director Dave Prunty presented the numbers and said the Solid Waste Board recommended the commissioners approve the budget as presented.

The budget proposal lists $7.4 million in assessment revenue (including the next 3% scheduled rate increase), $2.5 million in projected disposal gate fees and $325,000 in miscellaneous receipts. The $4.5 million transfer is designated for three capital items that Prunty said will extend the life and capacity of the landfill: liner excavation for a future South Area landfill, a roughly $2 million leachate pond to be built this summer, and an access road for Phase 6A of the new landfill.

Why it matters: the proposal shifts saved funds to capital projects rather than relying on new revenue, and it outlines operational changes for leachate handling that the department says will alter daily work and staffing needs.

Prunty described the leachate pond as a summer storage reservoir; his plan is to store leachate in the pond through the non-evaporative months and, in summer, spray the leachate on lined areas of the landfill so it evaporates. He said the pond responds to concerns from the energy plant operator about injecting too much liquid into the refuse mass and that the county may later consider evaporator technology that could use engine-exhaust heat, but said that would be a future step and likely more expensive.

Prunty also reported that Sandry Construction won a recent bid at roughly $2.7 million for some of the work and that the county is evaluating a contract price of about $6.25 per cubic yard to move soil for the liner project; he said the department will likely have to move about 1.2 million cubic yards in the next four years.

On operations and monitoring, staff said groundwater and gas monitoring expenses will rise while the South Area landfill is brought online. The department has increased quarterly baseline groundwater monitoring around the new area, and Prunty said he budgeted additional funds in case regulators request more monitoring wells. He also noted a failed groundwater monitoring well that may require a replacement drill and consultant work if a driller can be scheduled.

Environmental and regulatory context: Prunty said PFAS concerns and stricter discharge rules make it unlikely the county can send leachate to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, and described the department’s closure/post‑closure financial assurance plan. He said the budget includes a $400,000 transfer into the closure/post‑closure trust required to fund future closure and monitoring obligations.

On day‑to‑day operations, Prunty described waste processing costs that can fluctuate—brush and stump grinding this year may be about $300,000 because the contractor had limited availability—and noted gate fee and commodity revenue assumptions are sensitive to market and economy changes.

Personnel request and timing: as a sidebar request to the commissioners, Solid Waste staff proposed two temporary staffing changes: extend one seasonal position from six to eight months (32 hours/week for eight months) and add one new full‑time temporary position for eight months (40 hours/week). The total estimated cost is $66,371. Prunty said both positions would be county employees (not agency temps) and would be used to avoid robbing crews from cover and container‑site work when absences occur. The request was presented but not acted on during the meeting.

Budget math and reserves: the department’s total proposed expenditures were $16,567,000. Prunty said much of the difference between revenue and expenditures is covered by depreciation and equipment replacement funds already held in trust; after pulling those existing funds back into the operating picture, expenditures exceed revenue by about $212,000, an amount Prunty said he expects to manage using previously saved equipment‑replacement dollars.

Other items discussed included a proposed $175,000 allowance to enclose parts of the facility with six‑foot chain link and barbed wire to reduce deer access (part of a chronic concern about chronic wasting disease [CWD] and carcasses entering the landfill), a $250,000 irrigation/alfalfa system repair and relocation tied to excavation work, and ongoing household hazardous waste, tire and freon disposal costs. Prunty noted the department continues public outreach about securing loads to reduce litter and described a recent $50,000 pickup contract to clear highway litter.

Next steps: Prunty said the Solid Waste Board had already recommended approval and the sidebar staffing request awaits commissioner action. Commissioners did not vote during the session; no formal outcome was recorded in the transcript.