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Iowa County discusses ordinance to require trash deliveries to county landfill; board expresses mixed views
Summary
Board members debated whether to require county waste to be delivered to the county landfill after concerns about neighboring cities hauling trash out of county limits. No ordinance was adopted; staff were invited to present a proposal at a future meeting.
Board members discussed a proposed ordinance that would require trash generated within county boundaries to be delivered to the county landfill rather than being hauled to facilities outside the county.
Why it matters: The proposal could change where local haulers and cities deliver municipal and commercial solid waste, with financial and operational implications for the county landfill, neighboring municipalities and private haulers.
Discussion details
The landfill board raised the issue after noting that some waste from nearby jurisdictions has been taken to out‑of‑county landfills (the meeting mentioned Newell and Johnson County). A participant referenced a New York Supreme Court ruling that, in that case, supported a county ordinance requiring trash to be delivered to a county facility; meeting participants said that ruling gave their landfill board “teeth” to recommend a similar ordinance locally. Meeting speakers also noted that some municipal accounts constituted only small amounts of waste (one example cited $29.40 in a highest month for a particular account), and some members questioned whether a county‑wide ordinance was appropriate to resolve what might be limited or contract‑level disputes.
Board members expressed mixed views: some supported a county ordinance to keep waste local and preserve landfill revenue, while others warned the county should avoid creating an unnecessary conflict with a city — especially where the amount of waste in question appeared minimal. One board member said they were willing to hear a formal proposal from the landfill board and county staff before deciding whether to pursue an ordinance.
Next steps: The landfill board (represented in the discussion by Garrett) indicated they would present a proposal for the county to consider at a future meeting. Staff did not present a draft ordinance during the recorded discussion; no vote was taken on the matter.
