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New Johnson County recycling center opens amid high demand; staff cite compactor glitches, staffing and box-truck need
Summary
District staff reported more than 590 visitors in the first week at the newly opened Johnson County Recycling Center and described operational challenges including compactor issues, a need for a box truck to reduce staff travel, limited staffing, and adjustments to hours of operation.
Johnson County’s new recycling facility has drawn heavy early use, district staff told the Solid Waste Management District Board on July 11, but operations are still stabilizing as staff address equipment glitches, staffing constraints and outreach issues.
“We have seen 590 people in just a week,” the district’s operations representative said, describing traffic through the facility as “incredible” but adding the opening has been “complete chaos” at times. Staff thanked Caldwell’s (the contractor now handling compactor services) for providing temporary equipment, clean bins and frequent pickups while the district works toward a permanent compactor installation.
Staff reported several operational pressures: the facility is operating with two part-time and four full-time employees, and certain routes require repeated trips because the district lacks a box truck to consolidate collections. “Steven basically handles that route on Thursday…if he had a box truck, he could just collect all the people and come back,” a staff member said, urging the board to authorize staff to solicit quotes and return with a purchase recommendation. The board discussed procurement options: buying new or used, and whether to use Sourcewell or a state Qualified Purchasing Representative (QPR) to expedite purchase without a public bid.
On hours of operation, staff said the center is open longer than before the move — the facility now operates about 41 hours a week overall with specific changes (for example, evening hours moved from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. to 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Wednesdays). Staff explained Thursday’s earlier close is to allow a safety briefing tied to household hazardous waste handling: some staff arrive at 8 a.m. and others at 10 a.m., so a 4 p.m. briefing fits schedules. The board asked for clearer public messaging about hours; staff said Google listings and other third-party listings have caused confusion and that they are working with county IT staff to create distinct Google entries for administrative offices and the recycling center.
Volunteers and the citizens advisory committee (CAC) were credited with supporting outreach and events such as shredding and toxic-waste collections; CAC recommended the proposed 2026 budget and offered to help plan outdoor education space at the new site. Staff said the August shredding event was canceled due to ongoing construction and operational changes but November events are planned.
On equipment, the presenter said two composters cost about $9,000 each if the district buys rather than rents and suggested leaving $20,000 in the 2026 capital-outlay line to cover compost equipment if the board proceeds with a box-truck purchase. Staff emphasized the district’s limited levy receipts, that the district maintains about one year of reserves, and that operating as a special district requires different appropriation actions to access banked funds.
The board did not take final action on a truck purchase at the meeting but asked staff to solicit quotes and report back; staff were directed to research QPR/Sourcewell procurement routes and return with cost estimates and a recommended procurement approach.
