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Solid-waste staff report transfer-station repairs, ADEQ fee changes and plan to streamline free-dump program
Summary
Cochise County solid-waste staff reported repairs and leadership changes at the Douglas transfer station, described efforts to sustain a $64-per-ton tipping fee by recycling metal to Tucson, and said the Rate Review Advisory Board approved a streamlined free-dump day to start after July.
Solid-waste staff told the Cochise County Board of Supervisors the Douglas transfer station has been repaired and reorganized under new leadership, but the county continues to manage recurring equipment failures and regulatory fee changes that affect operations and tipping fees.
Public Works staff said contractors repaired and upgraded the Douglas station (work referenced at about $60,000) and that improved leadership and facility changes made the site look "night and day" compared with earlier conditions. The presenter noted continued operational vulnerability when key components fail: compactors and walking-floor feed systems can create bottlenecks when they are out of service, and parts for older electrical control boards are often obsolete. The department said it is exploring a vendor to rebuild electrical systems to restore automatic operation on compactors, which would reduce labor needs and ease operations.
On costs and tipping fees, staff said the county currently charges $64 per ton at the gate while its operating expense is about $76 per ton. Recycling metals hauled to Tucson offset part of the difference. The presenter explained recent actions by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality: ADEQ temporarily removed newly proposed fees but kept increases to existing fees tied to the Consumer Price Index; that change reduced the department's near-term exposure by about $25,000 compared with an earlier projection. "We were paying 25¢ a ton to landfill our own trash and now we're going to be charged 58¢ a ton to landfill our own trash," the presenter said, describing an increase in a preexisting fee.
Solid-waste staff also discussed the free-dump program and vouchers. The Rate Review Advisory Board (RAB) voted to approve a free dump day for the coming year, and staff proposed streamlining voucher administration to reduce mailing and data-entry costs. Staff noted that the last mailing cycle distributed roughly 42,900 vouchers but only about 11,000 were redeemed; staff proposed an online or attendant-based verification system at transfer stations to replace mass mailing and reduce returned-mail waste and fraud opportunities.
No formal county board action was taken; supervisors asked for additional information and staff said they would coordinate further with facilities and the advisory board.
