Broadwater County approves interlocal waste-disposal contract with Lewis and Clark County, cites nearly $100,000 projected savings

Broadwater County commissioners on Jan. 29 approved an interlocal agreement sending the county’s solid waste to the Lewis and Clark County landfill under a contract that runs through June 30, 2028.

Public Works Director TJ Gravely described the agreement as roughly a 3 1/2-year contract. Gravely told the board Lewis and Clark’s bid sets a rate of $24 per ton for Class 2 garbage and $21 per ton for Class 4 waste; he said accepting that bid yields about $100,000 in savings over the life of the contract compared with the other bid the county received.

Gravely said the county can renew the contract annually but not beyond five years without issuing a new contract. He also highlighted ancillary benefits in the interlocal arrangement, including earlier access to surplus snow‑plow equipment that would otherwise have cost the road department about $280,000 to purchase new.

Deputy County Attorney Kalyn Minor assisted with legal review; county staffer Kaye (first name in record) worked on drafting and negotiating contract language with Lewis and Clark’s public‑works team. Commissioners asked whether the Lewis and Clark rates will change; Gravely said the landfill reviews rates annually and that historically rates have fallen.

A motion to approve the interlocal agreement passed with no public comment recorded. The signed agreement will be returned after Lewis and Clark County signs; the county clerk will then file the agreement with the secretary of state as required by interlocal filing rules.

The contract decision followed several weeks of staff negotiations and a review of competing bids; Gravely told the board that choice of Lewis and Clark, though slightly farther by distance, produced the best net savings when transportation and rate differences were accounted for.