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Canister site staffing shortfall could force reduced hours or closures, Broadwater County solid waste staff warn
Summary
Broadwater County solid waste staff reported multiple imminent vacancies at outreach canister sites and are launching targeted recruitment and outreach to avoid reducing hours or closing sites.
Broadwater County solid waste staff told the advisory board that three outreach canister-site attendant positions could be vacant by early summer, risking reduced hours or temporary closures at neighborhood disposal sites.
The county’s solid waste staff said the Winston site attendant will leave May 1, a Dry Gulch attendant is likely gone when school ends, and weekend coverage at the county transfer station is already short. "I am losing my Winston canister site attendant, May 1," said TJ, a solid waste staff member. "We have 0 applicants coming in, which is gonna cause a problem because for the site to be opened, it has to be met."
The staffing shortfall matters because the county operates several small outreach canister sites—Winston, Dry Gulch, Raidersburg, Crock/Toston and Cedar Street—and those sites require attendants to control access and prevent contractor dumping. Staff said leaving gates open is not an option because unmonitored sites previously prompted heavy illegal dumping and brought contractors who did not pay county assessments.
County staff and board members discussed multiple short-term recruitment steps: posting help-wanted signs at each site, adding pay and hours information to the signs, placing job postings on the county website and local marketplace pages, and using the Broadwater County Development Corporation (BCDC) e‑mail list to reach residents. "We have posted help wanted signs at Winston, Dry Gulch, and Cedar Street," said Misty, a solid waste staff member. "It is on the county website."
Current pay for part-time site attendants was reported as $13.75 an hour. Staff said the Winston position is roughly 20 hours a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) and estimated gross pay near $275 a week, or about $1,000 a month. Summer and winter hours differ: staff described summer/transition hours and said the Winston schedule shifts on April 15 to 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, with Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Board members and staff discussed operational adjustments if hiring fails, including rotating existing crew, split shifts, reduced days at some outreach sites (for example, Dry Gulch reduced to one weekend day), and consolidating service to the Cedar Street site and the transfer station. Several board members said closing or reducing nearby sites would likely prompt public complaints. "If we can't staff these and those sites get closed, Cedar Street and the transfer station are your options," Misty said. "That's gonna be something we really are not interested in doing."
Staff also proposed low‑effort recruitment aids: placing application forms in the attendant shacks; putting the pay and approximate hours on the signs; asking board members and residents to share posts on Facebook Marketplace and other local groups; and circulating the posting through BCDC's e‑mail list. The board directed staff to draft coordinated verbiage for social posts and to circulate it to board members for distribution.
Board members agreed to give the outreach a short window to produce applicants and to prepare a press release if no hires appear. "As soon as Lisa and I have a chance to work together and get that out, I'll email it to all of the board members," Misty said. The board discussed holding a special meeting in two weeks if staffing difficulties persist.
