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Solid-waste director moves household hazardous waste event to September, warns of staffing shortages and sticker misuse
Summary
Solid-waste staff proposed holding a single household hazardous waste collection in September because the usual April staging area is under construction; staff also reported a tentative HHW grant award, increased recycling-sticker sales and problems with sticker stockpiling and staffing shortages at transfer stations.
Columbia County’s solid-waste department told the committee it will seek to hold a single household hazardous waste (HHW) collection in September 2025 rather than the usual spring event because construction at the fire training center is expected to limit staging and traffic control in April.
The department said it has been tentatively awarded a $37,541.60 HHW grant for the 2023 event (noted in the transcript as the grant cycle submitted in 2024) pending final documentation. Staff said they requested the only available vendor date in September (Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025) and asked the committee to authorize moving the event to that date; the committee moved and approved the date by voice vote.
Solid-waste staff also reported recycling-sticker sales began Dec. 16 and that many clerks saw increased foot traffic. The department raised concern about sticker misuse: staff discovered some community groups stockpiling stickers at local community centers and making them available to residents, which undermines the program’s vehicle-based permit intent. The director said the policy is comparable to a parking permit or car-wash sticker: the sticker applies to the vehicle it is affixed to.
Staff reported staffing shortages across transfer stations: one full-time laborer has been out on workers’ comp since Feb. 29, 2024; two part-time laborers are absent with unknown return dates; and another part-time laborer will miss a full month, creating reduced attendant coverage and longer service times at stations. The director asked supervisors to be aware that service will be slower on busy Saturdays while staffing is short.
Other items: the department and engineering are completing the Greenport transfer station permit renewal paperwork (due Feb. 1). The department also noted an Eagle Scout project to build a bird blind in the Mud Creek Conservation Area and a request to enter into two-year agreements with towns and commercial establishments for solid-waste services; those were approved by voice vote.
Ending: The department will proceed with the September HHW event planning and outreach, finalize permit renewals and continue recruitment to address staffing shortages at transfer stations.
