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County public works examines solid-waste contracts as landfill tonnage falls and single-stream rates rise
Summary
Public works staff reported a drop in landfill tonnage, a modest increase in single-stream tipping fees, ongoing RFP negotiations for hauling and disposal, and a forthcoming resolution to award contracts for loading/hauling/disposal.
Sullivan County Public Works staff said the county's landfill tonnage has fallen this year and that the department is negotiating final terms with potential waste-hauling and disposal contractors.
In an operations update, a public works official said the county's single-stream rate rose by about $6 per ton this season and that total tonnage from January through August is down about 17% (roughly 11,500 tons), which has reduced revenue by about $165,000 year to date. The county reported receiving 300 tons of cardboard at $75 per ton and expects a monthly cardboard check of about $6,500 before trucking costs are deducted.
Why this matters: lower tonnage affects revenue and operating decisions; contract awards for loading, hauling and disposal will shape how the county moves waste and how residents and haulers are charged going forward.
Public works staff said the department is finalizing negotiations after a request-for-proposals (RFP) process. Staff told commissioners they had narrowed vendors in each category to two finalists and had asked for "best and final" pricing; the department hoped to bring a resolution to the executive committee the following week to move into contract. A staff member noted a deadline the next day for a submission from vendors.
The department also asked commissioners to consider raising some user fees, including tire rates, which staff said are currently about $3 per tire and proposed moving that to $5 per tire. Staff recommended aligning municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C&D) rates to simplify ticketing and billing.
On broader waste policy, a presentation at a recent New York State Association of Counties meeting flagged landfill capacity and emerging PFAS testing at closed sites; one county official said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officials are exploring PFAS testing at closed landfills and assessing long-term landfill capacity across the state. County staff said the state had offered to test the county landfill for PFAS and that county samples previously showed low levels; staff reported they had submitted material to the state about four months earlier and had not yet received results back.
Ending: The county will continue RFP negotiations and staff said they aim for a contract in early October to allow several months of transition if a new vendor is selected. Household hazardous waste collection day (HHW) was announced for Sept. 28 and a county composting class will be held at the Cornell Library on the 17th.
