The Ada County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 6 to allow residents of Atlanta, Idaho, served by the Elmore County transfer station, to bring bulky items to the Ada County landfill for six months at the out-of-county disposal rate.

Herb Cantu, the county landfill director, told the board the request came from Elmore County and that Atlanta has about 421 residents. He said the local transfer station can take some material but faces challenges accepting bulky items, and residents were willing to drive to Boise for disposal. "From a waste volume standpoint, it doesn't appear to be too significant," Cantu said.

When asked about fees, Cantu said the county would charge the out-of-county disposal rate, currently $40.25 per ton, and that a recent cost-of-service study raised the county resident tipping fee from $32 to $33 per ton. The board instructed staff to include a six-month time limit consistent with county policy and approved the request with conditions and the prevailing rate.

The six-month pilot is intended to give the county an opportunity to reassess capacity and fees; the board approved the arrangement and asked staff to return for further review if the pilot requires changes.