Pipestone County, Van Dyke Sanitation at odds over cardboard hauling after Slayton facility closure

A closure at a regional recycling outlet has strained the county's curbside and roll-off cardboard program and prompted a cost dispute between Van Dyke Sanitation and Pipestone County commissioners.

Norm Van Dyke, representing Van Dyke Sanitation, told the board on July 22 that his crew can no longer drop cardboard in Slayton because that facility closed "as of the first of the month," forcing Van Dyke to haul material to Sioux Falls, which pays roughly $30 per ton. Van Dyke said the longer haul adds mileage and costs; he asked the county to consider paying an additional $100 per load to cover the added travel.

"There was two weeks previously that the containers were not dumped, so that's why I reached out to Van Dykes and said we need to figure something out," said Kyle Freer, the county's environmental administrator, summarizing the committee's concerns.

Commissioners pressed Van Dyke for detail on tonnages and transport economics. Van Dyke acknowledged wide variation in roll-off tonnage because cardboard in roll-offs is not compacted; compactor-equipped garbage trucks can carry far more tonnage per trip. Board members argued that switching from roll-offs to compacted dumpsters could reduce trips and overall mileage, and the county suggested it could buy dumpsters if that lowers costs and solves service interruptions.

Chair (unnamed) told Van Dyke the county would not immediately revise the existing contract to add a monthly reimbursement of roughly $800 (the company estimated approximately two loads per week) and that the contract places disposal responsibility on the hauler. "I'm not willing to pay an extra $800 a month on your existing contract," a commissioner said during the meeting.

The board asked the county's solid waste committee, Van Dyke representatives and county staff to continue negotiating operational fixes: weigh recent loads to confirm tonnage, evaluate swapping roll-offs for 4' to 8' yard dumpsters that county staff could buy, and determine whether compaction or other collection changes would be feasible for Van Dyke. In the short term the county agreed to leave one roll-off on-site while the parties seek a longer-term solution; Van Dyke will haul containers to Sioux Falls under the existing contract terms.

Why it matters: Local residents reported cardboard overflowing when the roll-offs sat full; the county must balance maintaining curbside service and avoiding ad hoc contract increases. Commissioners emphasized the county's contract does not specify disposal destinations and that Van Dyke bid the service based on past outlets.

Ending: The solid waste committee will meet with Van Dyke Sanitation to develop options and bring recommended changes back to the board. Commissioners said they hope to reconvene the discussion within two weeks.