Adams County solid waste staff report tanker modification, equipment repairs, GPS pilot and canceled clean sweep funding

Adams County solid waste staff provided an operational update that covered equipment repairs, a tanker modification, pilot technology for compaction mapping, partnerships on a butterfly garden and the cancellation of this year’s clean sweep hazardous‑waste event due to funding timing.

Ruben, a solid waste staff member, said a tanker modification completed March 3 added internal baffles to reduce sloshing while the vehicle is in transit. “Option 1 was where we modified the vent to put baffles in it to reduce the sloshing as we're going down the road,” Ruben said.

Equipment supervisor Nate reported ongoing warranty and repair work. A recently installed fuel pump failed after two hours and a warranty claim is open. Nate also said one loader’s alternator failed; a replacement alternator cost was listed in the meeting record at $5,100. He reported repairs sent to a vendor identified as Wabash and new 20‑ and 30‑yard containers arriving at the facility. Nate described on‑site fixes and improvements to shop inventory and GPS units installed on side-arm trucks and roll‑off trucks to speed incident response and evidence retrieval.

Operations staff described a potential in‑house mapping and monitoring plan using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) paired with drones to provide live compaction feedback and topographic mapping. Ruben said the system would let staff “type in that address, get the time, get the video from that time, and have the proof right there” when customers report incidents, and that GNSS/drone kits he had found ranged approximately from $1,200 to $15,000 depending on configuration.

Staff also described a partnership involving a butterfly garden. Colton of Land and Water and U.S. Fish and Wildlife have delineated responsibilities: the green area would be Land and Water’s responsibility, yellow would be solid waste’s and red would be Fish and Wildlife’s. Staff said solid waste’s role would likely include herbicide application before planting and mowing; the project is planned on a 10‑year timeline.

Ruben said the county will not hold a clean sweep this year because the funding application deadline was missed; he reported planning to reapply next year and track deadlines earlier. He also summarized a visit to Marathon County’s landfill, which demonstrated compaction techniques such as a “pancake compaction method” and potential equipment refurbishment approaches for an older BOMAG compactor.

Recycling updates included that the ADC (alternative daily cover) partner for glass has received the facility’s tonnage submittal and the county is awaiting approval. Staff reported that Jason, the recycling manager, is coordinating with IT to move some troubleshooting and equipment management in‑house rather than relying on external vendors.

Staffing notes: Ruben said a candidate accepted an initial offer for the scale clerk position and that the new clerk is expected by the end of the month. Staff also emphasized plans for operator certification training later in the month and potential future compaction training from outside vendors.

The items were presented as operational updates; no formal policy actions were taken on these project items during the meeting.