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Commissioners signal support to continue Camp Hope waste subsidy through Jan. 1; funding shortfall noted
Summary
County staff told commissioners the county has subsidized Camp Hope garbage service since 2021; commissioners discussed a short-term continuation through the end of the year while the city’s RFP process transitions service to a new contractor.
Sean Roey, finance manager for public works, updated the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on the county’s role in subsidizing solid-waste service at Camp Hope. Roey said the county had paid half of the on-site dumpster bill and that the expense is “about thousand dollars a month currently.” He traced the history: Health and Human Services covered costs through a COVID emergency grant from November 2020 to January 2021; afterward the county assumed some of the costs via solid waste financial assistance grants. Roey said those grant allocations expired in June 2025 and the new grant cycle did not include funds to continue the Camp Hope subsidy.
Commissioners discussed options. One commissioner proposed approving county support for a limited period while the City of Longview’s RFP for management takes effect. “Can we approve it for 6 months and then say you're on your own after that?” the commissioner asked. County staff told the board the RFP includes a requirement that the contractor assume ongoing site utility and trash costs; staff said they understood the new contract would likely start Jan. 1, but said the exact start date was not confirmed at the meeting.
Commissioners directed staff to provide short-term notice and a transition window rather than an immediate cutoff. Board members said they were inclined to continue the subsidy through the end of the calendar year so the incoming contractor or city budget process could plan for the expense; no formal motion or recorded roll-call vote occurred during the meeting. Roey said that, absent other arrangements, the county would continue to record the expense to solid waste maintenance and operations until the transition occurs.
Next steps: staff will continue the payment in the short term, give notice to the City of Longview and plan to end county subsidy when the new contractor assumes responsibility; commissioners asked staff to return with any confirmed dates or budget implications.
