Keith County commissioners heard competing pitches over whether the county should share costs for the city's Ogallala cleanup. Jennifer Kugler of WRG and representatives from Keep Keith County Beautiful told the board the city-funded spring cleanup diverted thousands of pounds of recyclables and large items, and the city asked the county to pay half of the dump fees for a one-week fall cleanup scheduled Sept. 8-12.

WRG said the spring event cost $5,339.75 and that volunteers and county residents used the service; WRG provides site supervision, roll-offs, marketing and diversion services, while the city paid landfill fees. Keep Keith County Beautiful's representatives said historically the affiliate handled countywide cleanups, provided dumpsters for residents unable to afford disposal, and used grant funds and county relationships to support programs. They urged the county to continue funding or coordinate rather than paying the city for a service the affiliate already provides.

Commissioners and nonprofit leaders raised practical challenges: WRG and Keep Keith County Beautiful said some county residents used the spring event, making eligibility checks difficult; board members asked whether Keno special project funds could be used for hauling or whether the county should focus on its own scheduled cleanups. Keep Keith County Beautiful warned that multi-day open access cleanups can encourage chronic dumpers and called for monitored, short-timeframe events similar to the tire-amnesty model.

The board suggested convening a meeting among city staff (including Dustin Holstein and Joan), WRG, Keep Keith County Beautiful, and county liaisons to clarify responsibilities, funding sources, and how to monitor events. Commissioners proposed discussing the issue at the county's local coordination meeting and resolving roles and cost-sharing before committing funds.