County staff and stakeholders seek planning and cost clarity for transfer station upgrades

Teton County public works staff and community stakeholders asked the Board of County Commissioners on May 27 to set a work session to sort through financing and design choices for the county transfer station, and to clarify a upcoming hauling contract that will change haul rates and distances.

The discussion matters because the transfer station is the county’s main solid-waste processing site and commissioners will decide soon how to proceed with a scale house, crew building and long-term management. "The transfer station is a core component of that system. It is the heartbeat of the processing," said Dave Hudasco, representing Bridal Curbside, during public comment.

Public works Director Daryl Johnson told commissioners the county recently issued a request for qualifications to design a second scale house and a crew building and expects construction budgeting to follow. "We have quite a bit of money. There's $50,000 to get started with the design. We have, I think, $2,000,000 budgeted for construction," Johnson said. He added county staff expect to present a design budget and contract for board consideration at the June 9 meeting.

Johnson also told the board the county previously had a hauling arrangement with Rad that cost roughly $1,000 per haul to Circular Butte, and an interim agreement with the Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District would reduce that per-haul cost substantially. "They have offered to contract at $2.74 a mile. It's about a 200-mile round trip," Johnson said, adding the new route is about half the distance the county currently travels and should lower hauling costs even if tipping fees change.

Commissioners and public speakers pushed staff for greater clarity on how the transfer-station design, hauling contracts and related road or site improvements will be funded. Commissioner Ron James asked whether the project money is specific to solid-waste revenues; Johnson confirmed those construction funds come from tipping fees and the solid-waste fee. Commissioners asked for a work session so they can review financials and the three proposals under consideration — keep county operations, privatize management, or have the new regional solid-waste district run the transfer station.

Johnson said the design procurement will consider prior audit recommendations and the board will see a budget and contract recommendation in June. He also said a work session with the board and stakeholders is appropriate and offered to schedule one for the June 9 meeting or a separate special session.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to prepare clearer budget and contract materials and to schedule the requested work session so the board can weigh trade-offs and impacts, particularly haul contract terms and how project costs will draw on solid-waste fund balances.