Finney County adopts 2025 Solid Waste Management Plan; approves $700 extra payment to contractor

Finney County commissioners formally adopted the county’s 2025 Solid Waste Management Plan and approved an additional payment to the consultant who prepared the update.

Mackenzie Phillips, Development Administrative Coordinator, explained Kansas statute requires counties to prepare and comprehensively update their solid-waste plans every five years. The Finney County Solid Waste Management Committee reviewed the plan on Dec. 19 and recommended approval. A statutorily required public hearing was held Jan. 27; no members of the public commented.

The board adopted Resolution No. 4-20-25 to adopt the 2025 Solid Waste Management Plan. The resolution states that the plan is required “to establish and maintain desirable and adequate solid waste management practices” and cites a county committee organized under state statute.

Separately, commissioners reviewed a request from Kirkham Michael, the consulting firm retained to prepare the plan. The agreed contract was $3,500 but, Phillips said, coordination issues and additional agency outreach required more time. Kirkham Michael requested an additional $700; commissioners confirmed sufficient funds remained in the 2024 project budget and approved the payment.

What the plan vote does and does not do: Adoption updates the county’s five-year management plan per Kansas statute and authorizes implementation steps described in the plan. The payment approval covers consultant work already performed to complete the update and does not alter the plan’s content.

Next steps: county staff will finalize and file the adopted plan and the signed resolution; the additional consultant payment will be processed by the treasurer.