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Solid waste director proposes third straight $10/ton tip‑fee increase, lays out $50M landfill plan
Summary
Deschutes County Solid Waste director said the budget includes a $10/ton increase in the disposal fee to $90 per ton and described long‑term capital needs — a new landfill cell, transfer station upgrades and renewable natural gas — totaling tens of millions of dollars.
Tim Brownell, director of Deschutes County Solid Waste, told the budget committee the department will ask for a $10‑per‑ton increase in the county’s landfill tip fee, bringing the rate to $90 per ton and noting this is the third consecutive $10/ton increase.
Nut graf: Brownell outlined a multiyear capital program that includes replacing the landfill flare to meet new air permit rules, upgrading transfer stations, expanding compost and material‑recovery infrastructure and eventually developing a new landfill cell and processing facilities — projects that together could require tens of millions of dollars in bonding and transfers from the operating fund.
Brownell said the department has been increasing diversion (recycling/compost) but is still at about "28%" of the county waste stream, short of the state goal near 45%. “We are currently at about 28% diversion,” he said, and said consultants are helping the county evaluate facilities that could increase recovery.
On the operating side, Brownell described a one‑year change: Solid Waste brought household hazardous‑waste collection in‑house earlier this year and now provides those collections twice weekly at Knott Landfill and expanded drop‑offs in other jurisdictions. The county also increased collection frequency and hired three new staff for hazardous waste operations.
Brownell laid out near‑term regulatory costs: new requirements for enclosed flares and monitoring will need an enclosed flare replacement project costing about $700,000. Longer‑term capital needs include an indoor transfer station at La Pine, an expanded compost facility to process more wood waste and a new landfill cell/expansion estimated at roughly $50 million over the next several years.
The director said he expects to issue bonds of roughly $70 million by 2030 for development of the transfer station and landfill, repayable from future operating revenue and tip fees. The budget includes about $4.45 million in transfers into capital funds to seed the work.
Ending: Brownell recommended the committee approve the tip‑fee increase for FY26 to sustain near‑term operations and build reserves for infrastructure; he said a broader regional discussion and franchise agreements with cities will be part of the county’s plan to secure future waste flows to new processing facilities.
