LaSalle County landfill host-fee receipts top $105,000; roadwork planned on East 13th could affect access

LaSalle County officials reported $105,017.63 in host-fee revenue and 33,338.93 tons of waste subject to the fee for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, county staff said at the Landfill and Land Use Committee meeting.

The figures were presented by Stephanie (last name not provided), who said the total tonnage subject to the host fee for the quarter was 33,338.93 and that the county received $105,017.63 in host-fee payments. "For first quarter, fiscal year 20 25, total dollars due to the county, was $105,017.63," Stephanie said.

Those revenues are calculated at the current host-fee rate of $3.15 per ton for the first 5,000 tons at that rate, staff said. The presentation also noted that a substantial portion of out-of-area waste hauling came from LaSalle County, with only a small portion from surrounding counties.

Why it matters: host-fee revenue supports county oversight of the landfill and factors into budgeting and planning for maintenance, inspections and infrastructure. Changes in tonnage or major road projects that affect access can alter hauling patterns and revenue streams.

County and township officials said road work on East 13th Road — the route that passes the landfill entrance — is under discussion but not finalized. Tim Awesome (title not specified) told the committee Ottawa Township and the LaSalle County Highway Department are actively working on possible resurfacing and widening of East 13th Road. He said prior resurfacing on a back road cost about $1.1 million and estimated East 13th Road work at approximately $830,000 to convert the route into an official 80,000-pound truck route from Route 6 to Dee Bennett. "But it's gonna come down to dollars and cents, and Adam White will have to make that call later in the year," Awesome said, referring to his successor who will decide after budget approvals.

Committee action and oversight: The committee voted to place the county oversight and landfill quarterly report on file. The motion to approve the county oversight and landfill quarterly report was made by Tim (last name not specified) and seconded by Dave Torres; members signified approval by voice vote and the report was placed on file.

Supporting details and trends: Committee discussion noted year-to-date tonnage totals are down about 16% compared with the previous four-year average. Committee members and Republic (the waste services contractor) representatives discussed the tonnage decline, but no operational changes were adopted at the meeting. The presenter also provided a month-by-month breakdown and a comparison between 2024 and 2025 showing a net change of minus $994.98 in one line of the published difference spreadsheet.

Inspection context: County inspectors reported seven landfill inspections in the last quarter with no violations noted. New environmental inspector Emma Gurkets was introduced to the committee; staff said she has trained under existing inspectors and with the EPA Rockford office.

What’s next: If the East 13th Road project proceeds, a final determination on whether to widen and designate it as a heavy-truck route will follow county and township budget decisions; county staff said that decision will come after budgets are finalized and when Adam White assumes the relevant township role.