Adams County approves return to 7 a.m.–3 p.m. workday and every-other-Saturday at landfill

Adams County supervisors voted to restore weekday work hours at the county landfill to 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and to operate the landfill on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month beginning in May.

Ruben, a solid waste staff member, urged the change at the county solid waste meeting, saying the current 10-hour schedule had created communication gaps and safety risks for staff. “So the reason why I would like to go back to the hours that we used to be, back to 7 to 3,” Ruben said. He described incidents in which workers were alone on site for extended periods after falls or injuries and concerns about scale clerks being left alone in the office.

The motion to change hours was made by Supervisor Carlson and seconded by Supervisor Kabirsky. After brief discussion, supervisors voted in favor; the chair announced, “Motion carries.” The county manager said he had no financial concerns about the schedule change.

Why it matters: Supervisors and staff said the change is intended to improve worker safety, increase direct supervision and communication, and reduce unnecessary overtime payouts on weekends. Ruben said the every-other-Saturday schedule should reduce weekend overtime while keeping Saturday service available on busier weeks.

Details and timeline: Ruben said the county plans to implement the new schedule the second Saturday in May. He told supervisors the intent is to have both scale clerks work only one weekend each month, reducing monthly weekend frequency per clerk and lowering overtime. The motion as recorded in the meeting transcript did not include a roll-call tally naming each supervisor’s vote.

Staff and public procedure: The change was presented during the meeting’s agenda items and carried by motion; no additional ordinances, statutes or county codes were cited when the supervisors approved the schedule change.

What remains: Supervisors did not attach conditions or additional budget approvals to the change at the meeting. Staff said they would proceed with implementation and training needed to align routes and daily operations with the restored hours.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of the meeting agenda — motion by Supervisor Gilner, seconded by Supervisor Carlson; announced as approved. - Approval of minutes from Feb. 11, 2025 — motion by Supervisor Gabarski, seconded by Supervisor Carlson; announced as approved. - Change landfill weekday hours to 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and open second and fourth Saturdays — motion by Supervisor Carlson, seconded by Supervisor Kabirsky; announced as carried.

Ending: Supervisors set the next solid waste meeting for April 8 at 4:00 p.m. and then moved on to project and site reports.