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Meeker County rejects operator proposals for landfill transfer station, will issue new RFPs and explore sale
Summary
After reviewing three bids, the Meeker County Board of Commissioners voted to reject proposals to operate the county landfill transfer station and to pursue a new request for proposals — including a potential sale — with an August RFP and a mid-September follow-up.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners on July 15 voted to reject three proposals to operate the county landfill transfer station in Litchfield and directed staff to issue new requests for proposals, including a possible solicitation to sell the site.
The vote came after Land Use Director Greg Schultz outlined options considered since a February work session: issue a new RFP for operations, have the county operate the site, sell the site, or continue with the existing operator. Schultz told commissioners seven parties were solicited on June 6; three companies submitted bids: Innovative Resource Recovery, MWS Logistics and Stockman Trucking. One bidder separately expressed serious interest in purchasing the property rather than only managing it.
Schultz and the commissioners said operating the site with county staff would not yield clear budget savings because of equipment and other costs. Commissioners were also concerned about long-term obligations tied to the demolition portion of the landfill: the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will set closure requirements, and county staff gave a range of possible capping costs from about $1.5 million to $3.5 million. Schultz said one recent estimate for landfill capping was roughly $275,000 per acre with about 13 to 14 acres of demolition-area material that would require capping; the county’s total property is about 43 acres.
Commissioners discussed timing and next steps. Schultz said staff plans to issue a public RFP for sale in mid-August, leave it open for about a month, and return with recommendations around mid-September. The county noted the transfer station operations could continue while sale solicitations proceed, and that selling would remove direct county control over pricing and operations — risks the board said it would weigh in any future negotiation.
Motion and vote: Commissioner Samtke moved to reject the proposals; the motion was seconded. The board voted in favor and the motion carried.
The board did not adopt any sale terms at the July 15 meeting; commissioners said they will set a sale price and vet any purchaser if a purchase proposal is received. Staff said MPCA permitting and potential closure obligations would shape negotiations and any future costs.
Next steps outlined by staff include issuing an August RFP for potential purchasers, soliciting bids publicly, vetting potential buyers, and returning to the board with a recommendation in mid-September.
