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Lee County weighs bulk pickup, amnesty days and fee options as disposal costs rise
Summary
Commissioners discussed separating bulk-route costs from curbside, possible fee increases from the current $18.50 monthly rate, use of ARPA funds last year, and staff plans to provide detailed, site-level cost and tipping data before decisions are made.
Lee County commissioners spent a substantial portion of the work session reviewing the county’s solid-waste services, including two free bulk pickups per month, amnesty/disposal days, recycling operations and the county’s current $18.50 monthly residential fee.
Staff and commissioners agreed to ask county solid-waste staff to produce updated, separated cost reports showing actuals (not just budgeted figures) for curbside collection, bulk routes, amnesty/disposal days, recycling and tipping fees by site. Mr. McDonald (solid-waste operations) told the commission he can provide tipping-ticket data and the staff and contractor cost breakdowns requested.
Discussion highlights included: - The county currently includes two bulk pickups in the monthly fee; staff said that practice is unusual among peer counties and that some counties instead provide amnesty days or charge per bulk pickup. Commissioners compared Lee County’s approach to Russell County (which offers on-demand bulk pickup for a fee) and Montgomery County (which holds regular amnesty events). - The monthly residential fee has been $18.50 for years. Commissioners and staff noted that rising disposal and labor costs have created a budget shortfall in solid-waste operations; staff estimated the county is currently absorbing roughly $1 million annually in excess costs and used $1 million in ARPA funds last year to offset the deficit. - Recycling previously generated meaningful offsetting revenue; staff said peak combined savings and revenue from recycling approached $200,000–$250,000 at one point, which helped reduce department costs when the program was operating at scale. - Amnesty/disposal days require added staff overtime and site staffing; commissioners asked staff to include employee overtime and per-site operational costs in the forthcoming analyses. - The county leases knuckle-boom trucks and has two years remaining on that lease, a factor commissioners said should be considered when modeling future service options. - Commissioners debated service equity: some said they would prefer to maintain regular curbside service at the lowest possible residential price and offer bulk pickup as an a la carte paid option; others said rural districts might need more frequent amnesty or pickups than denser districts.
Commissioner Kenny commended solid-waste staff for organized amnesty days and said county employees “did a great job” at recent sites, noting favorable feedback from school partners and residents.
No formal vote was taken. The commission directed staff to deliver a detailed, separated accounting of curbside, bulk-route, amnesty/disposal-day and recycling costs (including tipping and employee costs) and to return with options that will allow commissioners to weigh fee increases, service cuts, or an a la carte model.
Why it matters: The county must decide whether to raise residential fees, cut services, or adopt a hybrid model; the decision affects all county residents, especially those without curbside access to hauling vehicles. Staff will provide the data commissioners requested before any decision.
