Commissioners approve higher solid waste scale fee; committee to seek consultants on landfill property and timber management

The Chester County Board of Commissioners voted to raise the solid waste department’s scale fee for commercial haulers and directed staff to pursue consultant proposals and a renewed solid waste committee review of management options for county property tied to landfill operations.

A county speaker explained the fee applies to commercial haulers who bring material for disposal to the county facility and that residential customers who bring their own household waste would not be affected. The speaker said surrounding counties charge $75 to $80 per ton for comparable services and noted the county’s contract for solid waste fees at its landfill expires in December 2026, prompting officials to act now to set a rate structure ahead of the contract renewal.

The board’s motion — recorded as a motion to raise the scale fee at the solid waste department — passed on a roll call. Commissioners recorded as voting yes were: Mike Alexander; Ricky Hardy; Todd Lewis; Brenda Matthews; Barry Smith; Tim Frode; Jerry Emerson; Renee Phelps; Dwight Bingham; Anne Moore; Carolyn Higgins; Luke Weaver; Andrea Holland; Sherry King; Allen Kennon; Bubba Hedges; Kevin Faulkner; and Jerry Lovett.

Speakers during the discussion said the change is aimed at parties “in the business of getting rid of garbage,” and that the fee also covers disposal of tree limbs and other material delivered by paid haulers. One speaker said the county charges a fee for materials deposited at the facility because those loads are commercial in nature: “That's why there is a fee for them to be deposited at our facility,” the speaker said.

County staff proposed soliciting bids from consultants, convening the solid waste committee again to review consultant recommendations, and considering multiple management approaches for county‑owned timber and properties linked to landfill permitting. The speaker described possible options including a clear cut, selective harvesting, or managed timber sales and said the county might negotiate agreements with neighboring jurisdictions (the speaker named Henderson) for prorated dumping privileges while future landfill options are evaluated.

Speakers also discussed long‑term infrastructure costs: one speaker said the last time the county checked, the cost to open roughly 10 acres of a landfill was about $3.1 million after permits and related work. The speaker urged the county to explore how to maximize value from the property while acknowledging costs and timing could vary depending on when a private or county landfill might open.

The board approved the motion and directed staff to obtain consultant proposals and reconvene the solid waste committee to review recommendations and return to the full commission with proposals for implementation and rates ahead of the December 2026 contract renewal.