The Greenlee County Board of Supervisors approved the selection of a consultant to prepare an ADEQ aquifer-protection permit modification for a new construction-and-demolition (C&D) cell at the Loma Linda Landfill.

County Engineer Reid Larson described the existing cell at Loma Linda as nearing capacity and showed photos of the working face. Larson said the county received proposals from multiple firms and noted the county's favorable permitting circumstances: "we don't have to line the cell with any kind of a geomembrane or clay. We don't have to do groundwater monitoring," Larson said, adding that an experienced consultant could help the county keep those favorable terms with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).

Larson told the board he favored one firm because of past work and relationships with ADEQ, but the board ultimately moved to approve a consultant contract with Hoke and Associates with a not-to-exceed amount of $40,000. A supervisor asked about the differences between a time-and-materials proposal and a lump-sum bid; staff acknowledged some change orders might be necessary depending on ADEQ review and suggested a contingency of roughly 10 percent if additional work is required.

The motion to approve the consultant selection and a not-to-exceed contract for Hoke and Associates passed by voice vote. The board directed staff to proceed toward preparing and submitting the permit modification to ADEQ. The county did not request additional county-funded construction at this meeting; the item was limited to consultant services for permitting and design support.