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Elk River will separately license yard‑waste site; Sherburne County approves OTI compost license
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Summary
Sherburne County approved a solid‑waste license renewal for OTI (a yard‑waste compost facility) and clarified that Elk River will license its own municipal yard‑waste site separately under a new policy that restricts commercial drop‑offs and resets access cards on 01/01/2026; fee details were explained and staff answered questions about badge resets and access.
Sherburne County commissioners on Tuesday approved the renewal of a solid‑waste license for OTI Incorporated and heard a staff explanation of policy changes affecting municipal yard‑waste access in the City of Elk River.
County staff said Elk River will move its municipal yard‑waste site out of a SCORE grant agreement that currently covers multiple municipal sites (Becker, Big Lake, Zimmerman). Under the new arrangement Elk River will manage its facility separately, charge its residents an annual access fee and restrict use to city residents; residents from neighboring towns will no longer be able to drop off material at the Elk River site and Elk River residents will not be able to use other participating municipalities’ sites.
Staff detailed implementation steps: Sherburne County will reset all yard‑waste access cards on 01/01/2026 so residents must bring an existing card to be reactivated (no fee to reset an existing card). New cards will carry a one‑time replacement fee (county staff said $10 for a new card); Elk River’s announced annual fee for their system was mentioned informally as about $25, which staff characterized as a city determination.
The change stems from abuse of municipal resident sites by commercial haulers, staff said, and aims to reserve those sites for residential use while allowing Elk River to collect commercial loads and remain pro‑business. Commissioners asked for clarification on which jurisdictions would continue with SCORE grant coverage (Becker, Big Lake, Zimmerman) and were told those municipal sites will remain part of the grant agreement.
The board approved item 3.19 after the clarifications.
What happens next: County staff will coordinate card resets with municipalities ahead of 01/01/2026, publish precise fee schedules and instructions, and continue to monitor municipal site use and any enforcement issues.
