County staff seek approval for 10‑year waste‑disposal contract with Waste Management and Adams County landfill option

Public Works asked the commissioners to authorize a sole‑source disposal contract with Waste Management and to approve terms the county negotiated for municipal solid‑waste disposal and inert‑waste handling.

Why it matters: Staff said a negotiated contract offers cost and operational predictability compared with routing waste through multiple vendors or the city’s prior arrangement. Staff said the county secured a rate of $31.50 per ton for general disposal into Waste Management’s landfill and an all‑in price of $47.19 per ton for inert or non‑burnable materials routed to the Graham Road Landfill in Adams County. Waste Management agreed to regulatory compliance obligations and liability for closure/post‑closure costs at their facilities.

Contract terms: Staff presented a 10‑year term with CPI‑based price adjustments; depending on annual tonnage the total contract value over ten years would be approximately $8 million to $28 million. Transport would be performed under the county’s current transport contract (Detrick Trucking), and county transfer stations would continue to be the point of collection rather than a centralized county staging location. Staff said Waste Management was executing the agreement and purchasing would process contracts through the clerk for the board’s consideration.

Commissioner questions focused on facility class, liners and contaminant controls at the Graham Road site and on whether rail access or compaction logistics might change cost profiles; staff said Graham Road is a lined facility with modern collection systems for leachate and that rail expansion remained a long‑range possibility for Waste Management but not currently in operation.

Ending: Staff will bring final contract documents to the board for adoption following completion of purchasing and clerical processing.