Sandoval County hires outside consultant as landfill nears cover shortage; official cites $180,000 purchase of dirt

Assistant Director Martinez told the Sandoval County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 14 that the county has contracted Sauder/Sauter Miller and Associates to give a second‑opinion review of the county landfill’s operations, with particular attention to equipment strategy, maintenance costs, daily‑cover sources and a consistent rate study.

Martinez, who said he was promoted to assistant director about two months ago, said the consultant will update prior work done by Park Hill and focus on whether the county should lease or purchase equipment, how to reduce daily‑cover costs and how to schedule closure of the existing cell and construction of a new landfill cell. “We want them to prepare a detailed cost estimate and schedule for the existing landfill closure and new landfill construction,” he said.

He told commissioners the landfill is near the end of its dirt supply and that the county has recently paid for cover material. “In the last two months we spent $180,000 on 15,000 cubic yards of daily of dirt,” Martinez said. He added staff is starting to shred green waste to use for alternative daily cover, which “will minimize the use of dirt to cover the trash.”

On customer volume, Martinez said recent observations showed high throughput at the site: “There was more than, I wanna say, 800 customers, which basically equated to someone coming in every 39 seconds” during busy periods, a cadence he said drives equipment‑use and staffing needs.

Commissioners asked when the consultant report would be available; Martinez said he has received some materials from Sauder Miller but that the firm has not yet provided implementable recommendations. Another staff member noted the contract’s execution was delayed earlier by personnel issues at the consultant firm and that the county is still awaiting full feedback.

Martinez said he’s been working closely with landfill manager Christopher Perea to map on‑the‑ground operations and identify efficiency opportunities such as reducing unnecessary vehicle movements that wear equipment. He also said the county is looking at customer communications and billing contacts to notify heavy users about discount tiers and closures.

Next steps: commissioners requested copies of the consultant’s submittals when available and a concise summary of recommendations for operational changes and budget implications. The commission did not take formal action on the landfill at the meeting.