Spokane County to adopt compost procurement resolution after organics-management reporting requirement

Deb briefed the Board of County Commissioners on state organics-management law changes that require public entities to adopt procurement preferences for local compost and to report organics-management activities. She said Spokane County already buys compost from a local producer (Bartek) and runs public-education efforts, and that the county’s gap was filing the required report.

Deb said purchasing and solid-waste staff coordinated a submission that documents quantities diverted and sources purchased; the county filed an initial report by the March 30 deadline and will bring a recommended resolution for the board to adopt at a 2 p.m. meeting next week to satisfy RCW requirements. Legal staff advised that adopting the procurement approach via resolution — rather than an ordinance — is permissible and faster because a resolution does not require a public hearing.

The nut graf: county staff characterized the work as largely administrative — county departments already meet the substance of the procurement preference, and the immediate requirement is to adopt a formal resolution and continue annual reporting.

Ending: staff said they would place the procurement-resolution item on the next 2 p.m. legislative meeting agenda and that departments purchasing compost will continue to provide supporting data to purchasing for annual filing.