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St. Joseph council postpones vote on 30% landfill intake cut, schedules meeting with haulers
Summary
The City Council delayed a vote on a proposed 30% reduction in solid-waste intake at the St. Joseph sanitary landfill and agreed to convene all 33 licensed haulers for a focused session after public commenters warned the landfill has only weeks of airspace remaining.
St. Joseph City Council postponed action on a proposed resolution to cut intake at the St. Joseph sanitary landfill by 30% and moved to convene licensed haulers for a dedicated meeting.
The council had before it a resolution that would impose a 30% reduction in solid-waste intake for all city-licensed customers at the Saint Joseph Sanitary Landfill effective March 1, 2025, and continuing until the opening of cell 8. During a public-comment period, Doug Hutton, a member of the landfill advisory committee, called the situation a “crisis” and said, "We have 60 days before the landfill is full," warning that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) could shut down the site if capacity issues are not addressed.
Council members and staff emphasized the regional nature of the issue and urged collaborative solutions rather than assigning blame. After discussion, the council voted unanimously to postpone the resolution and to invite all 33 licensed haulers to a follow-up meeting in the council chambers so haulers can present ideas to extend the life of the facility. The council directed staff to publicize the meeting and hand out flyers at the landfill to ensure broad notice; the council recorded the postponement vote as 9 ayes.
Public commenters urged faster action. Terry Peterson, who identified himself as owner and operator of Redgate Disposal, told the council that “the time to get everybody together ... is closing” and urged the city to consider an emergency meeting if necessary. Eric McGuire, a resident, asked citizens and haulers to bring constructive solutions and cautioned against social-media posts that amplify conflict rather than problem-solving.
The council did not adopt the 30%-cut resolution at the meeting; instead members sought a targeted forum for haulers to suggest operational or logistical changes that could reduce intake or extend landfill life. The council’s staff and the mayor repeatedly framed the next step as fact-finding and outreach to ensure no licensed hauler is excluded from the discussion.
What happens next: the council postponed the vote and scheduled an invited hauler session; staff were directed to notify haulers and distribute flyers at the landfill. The resolution remains pending and will return to council after the invited meeting and any staff follow-up.
