Shane McDonald, representing the Washington County Solid Waste District, updated Ivins City Council on landfill operations and recycling on Nov. 6, saying the district has completed new office space and made entrance-and-exit improvements at the landfill.

McDonald said the districthas money set aside for multi-phase site improvements and must retain funds for 50 years of post-closure care. "The district has to have money set aside for maintenance of the landfill for 50 years after it closes, and so some of that is available for us to use," he said.

On recycling, McDonald said materials collected in Ivins are processed in Las Vegas and are cubed for market sale, but commodity prices have declined. "There was a time when we actually received money back for those commodities. Since then, the commodities has not been selling very well, and there's actually an expense to it," he said.

Council members asked whether glass could be added to curbside collection. McDonald said feasibility depends on the local collection can and market demand for different glass colors, adding that contamination (residents using recycling bins for trash) can force whole loads to be landfilled for safety reasons.

Councilors also asked about the contract with the private hauler; McDonald said the contract includes an annual adjustment clause and the district resisted larger proposed increases when the company sought renegotiation. "When we approved the contract...there's a 2.5% increase," he said, adding that earlier attempts to increase to 7.5% were pushed back.

The presentation ended with McDonald inviting council members to tour the landfill and the regional recycling facility. He said the facility's sorting line is largely mechanical but still relies on significant manual sorting for non-metal items.