County summarizes landfill gas, transfer-station traffic, staffing shortages and rural-site enforcement plans

Kootenai County Solid Waste staff provided an operational summary Wednesday covering landfill gas production, transfer-station traffic, staffing shortages and rural collection-site issues.

Landfill gas and potential contract changes: JP said the landfill is collecting about 1,400 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of landfill gas, of which roughly 1,000 scfm is sent to the gas-to-energy plant while the remainder is combusted at the flare. He said Kootenai Renewable Energy, the plant owner, has discussed possibly installing a third engine to use more gas; that company also indicated it might want to renegotiate the existing contract if it invests in a new engine. "If we're gonna end up making more money in the long run, I would bring it to you. If it looks like it's a move to where we would end up making less money, I wouldn't bother bringing it to you," JP said. He said Paragon Consulting has provided preliminary numbers and staff are evaluating whether to present a proposal for board consideration (current contract runs through 2032, JP said).

Transfer stations and Ramsey Express: staff reported transfer-station traffic is normal for the season. The new small-load express lane at Ramsey Transfer Station is receiving about 150 to 200 vehicles per day and has recorded 8,443 visits and roughly 214 tons through the reporting period; customers report it reduces wait times. JP said customer visits at Ramsey are down 1.6% through June compared with the same period in 2024, while Prairie Transfer Station visits are up 4.5% (attributed in part to the Ramsey paving project).

Staffing and equipment: the department has four full-time vacancies: one heavy equipment mechanic, one environmental technician and two solid waste technicians. JP said applications have increased recently for technician roles but the heavy equipment mechanic position has been open about four months with few qualified applicants. In the meantime, the department has occasionally paid local shops for repairs and borrowed a mechanic from Prairie Transfer Station to support Ramsey operations.

Rural collection sites and enforcement: JP said Sunshine (contract hauler) generally performs well but recent problems with new employees and minor equipment failures led to some full dumpsters on weekends. The county will press the contractor to meet contract requirements. JP said abuse at unstaffed rural sites has increased and the county plans consolidation, staffing and camera installations as enforcement tools. He said camera quotes are in place and funds are available to install cameras at Sunup Bay and Kidd Island; once installed the sheriff's office will receive live links for patrol monitoring. JP added that while some residents have asked for citation issuance for illegal dumping, law enforcement handles ticketing and the county has primarily focused on education.

Wolf Lodge site and future consolidation: county staff reported purchase of property near Wolf Lodge to build a staffed rural collection site. JUB is finalizing contract documents, plans and specifications and staff expect to put the project out to bid in late 2025. JP said the county has obtained a special use permit for future construction and hopes the new site could open in 2026, though he said spring/early summer would be a more likely construction schedule.

Statistics: staff compared January–June 2024 to 2025 and reported the landfill tonnage is up about 1.7% year-to-date while rural collection site visits and tonnage are up about 6.3–6.4%. JP noted the county's 20-plus year average growth is about 3% per year, so the current trends are slightly below that long-term average.

Sources: presentation to the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners solid waste update (Aug. 5, 2025).