Warren County reviews hauling data, proposes temporary staffing change as hauling expands

Warren County Public Works Committee members reviewed new hauling data and discussed short-term staffing changes and grant-dependent projects during an information-only discussion.

Committee members said the county’s recent decision to haul for several towns has produced more precise data that staff hope will inform rates, grant applications and operational planning. Scott (staff member) told the committee that April showed 21 hauls and that he and county staff intend to track month-to-month and year-to-year trends.

The data matter because the county’s hauling operation now underpins town service and grant work that depends on reliable tonnage and material streams. Scott said the new data will let staff attach tonnage and pricing and break recyclables into commodity types for more detailed analysis.

“The hope is to start varying these, you know, month by month, at years, starting to look at trends,” Scott said. He added, “Now that we’re hauling for the towns, we’re getting more accurate data.”

Staff reported a five-month average of roughly 100 trips per month and said they expect an increase after Memorial Day, with a projection of about 150 trips per month but with uncertainty. Kevin (staff member) emphasized the operational strain: “the 2 and a half guys that I have hauling, they can’t take a vacation because if they do, somebody’s not gonna get something picked up.” To address that gap, Kevin proposed temporarily deleting an auto-mechanic position and adding another driver for the remainder of the year; he said he would return with a formal resolution next month and expects to restore the mechanic position during the formal budget process.

On reporting and data systems, staff described how transfer stations and towns currently submit annual forms to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and maintain monthly breakdowns but that practices vary. Scott said the county has a smaller grant to cover a data-reporting product called Retrack and that the county clerk’s office already receives weights and bills that could be standardized into a shared tracker to ease annual reporting.

“We got another smaller grant that can cover a, data reporting system called Retrack,” Scott said. He noted transfer-station operators currently complete state annual reports and that the county could provide a monthly spreadsheet or template to simplify submission.

Staff also said they were “tentatively awarded” a food-scrap pilot grant but have not yet received an executed contract from the state; the award will require resubmitting a work plan and budget before purchases or program start. Scott told the committee that, if the executed contract comes through, the county could begin accepting food scraps in roughly three to four months but emphasized purchases cannot begin before the contract is in hand.

On recyclables, staff said the working group is considering starting small—targeting cleaner commodities such as cardboard and selected plastics—with the aim of reducing disposal costs (staff cited a current disposal cost of about $90 per ton for some materials) and potentially generating revenue by connecting with markets such as Replenish. Staff said they plan to present a basic commodity-focused overview at the June Public Works meeting.

Next steps on hauling and recycling include: a formal personnel proposal to the committee the following month; standardizing monthly transfer-station reporting, potentially via Retrack or a county-provided tracker; awaiting the executed food-scrap pilot contract before purchases; and a June briefing on focusing recyclables capture on a few commodities.