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Kootenai County previews Ramsey transfer station small-load drop-off, cites spring maintenance and staffing gains
Summary
Director John Phillips said the new Ramsey Transfer Station small-load public drop-off area is largely built and could open in April or May; rural collection sites will get spring maintenance and the county reports improved staff retention after a pay plan.
John Phillips, Kootenai County Solid Waste director, told commissioners on April 1 that the county’s new public drop-off area for small loads at the Ramsey Transfer Station is largely complete and could open in April, though May is possible.
The design and layout for the small-load drop-off were finalized with Jacobs Engineering, and Central Premix delivered rock for construction. Phillips said county crews built the site, topsoil and seed applied last fall are showing grass establishment in the erosion-control areas, and nearly all road signs and traffic-control devices are installed. "I'd love it to be open in April and I'm really optimistic that we can pull that off," Phillips said, while noting that a May opening remains possible.
Operational details: 35 dumpsters ordered for the site have been delivered and placed; Phillips said about five remain to be located in their final positions. A used garbage truck approved by the board has arrived and is on-site and ready for use. The drop-off area is intended to let customers drop a few bags or containerized waste without driving through the full transfer-station route or using the scale, which Phillips said should streamline operations.
Transfer-station operations and public issues: Phillips reported that traffic and waste volumes are slightly below normal for the first two months of the year. The county received a complaint about screws on the asphalt near the commercial drop-off area at Ramsey; in response, staff have increased magnet runs and street-sweeper activity and are documenting the work in daily logs.
Rural collection sites and Wolf Lodge Bay: Phillips praised Sunshine Recycling for hauling refuse from rural collection sites and said gravel-lot sites are scheduled for spring maintenance and pothole repairs. Dust-control application is scheduled for May 2025 at gravel rural sites. He also reported the county’s ongoing work on a future staffed rural collection site at property purchased in the Wolf Lodge Bay area. JUB Engineering prepared a design and a special-notice permit application through community development was deemed sufficient in late December 2024.
Staffing: Phillips said all full-time positions are currently filled and that the county is retaining employees; only seasonal positions remain open. He credited the county pay plan for improved recruitment and retention.
Public guidance and next steps: Phillips asked residents to avoid placing items outside containers at rural sites and noted that large items such as furniture and appliances should be taken to transfer stations, where disposal is often free. He said the department will continue spring maintenance and dust-control scheduling and will report back on the Ramsey site opening date.
