Polk County hears proposal for private transfer facility; councilors agree to begin interjurisdictional talks

Polk County staff and a representative of Outrigo Holdings presented a proposal to franchise a privately built, indoor waste transfer and recycling facility on a repurposed dairy property near Independence and asked the city council to allow city managers to continue interjurisdictional talks.

Polk County staff told the council the county currently "is entirely dependent on outside counties for disposal" and "has no resiliency," warning that industry estimates show Coffin Butte landfill capacity could be less than 13 years without additional expansion. Staff said the franchise question — whether the county will allow a private transfer operator to hold a county franchise — is legally separate from the land‑use siting process that would follow if the county and cities decide to pursue the project.

Mister Dahl, an Outrigo Holdings representative, described reusing existing dairy buildings to house an enclosed transfer and recycling facility. He said operations would keep material indoors for separation and staging, use air handling to control dust and odors, and provide separate queuing areas for residential and commercial customers. Dahl said the company hopes to break ground in mid‑2025 and open by…