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County staff report sharp rise in landfill tonnage, rising disposal costs
Summary
County staff reported a marked year-over-year rise in landfill tonnage and higher disposal costs after a renegotiated contract, estimating a roughly $142,000 increase in disposal expense tied to increased tonnage and higher per-ton fees.
Unidentified Speaker 1 (role/title: Not specified) presented the recycling and landfill summary to the meeting, reporting both commodity revenues and significantly higher landfill costs. The speaker said the landfill expense for the quarter was $151,004.93 and that an earlier transcription error in tonnage was corrected to 3,017.79 tons. "So that's a really hefty increase in garbage," Unidentified Speaker 1 said, describing a year-to-year tonnage jump that translated into an estimated $142,000 increase in disposal costs.
The report included monthly detail: January landfill disposal costs were listed at $44,001.48 with lower monthly tonnage for that month, but annual comparisons showed a large increase in total tons. Unidentified Speaker 1 attributed the higher tonnage partly to population growth in the county and partly to higher per-ton disposal charges after a renegotiated agreement with ISWA. In response to a question from Unidentified Speaker 2, the presenter said both factors contributed.
The county recorded recycling revenues and estimated savings from commodity diversion; however, rising disposal fees and higher volumes mean greater pressure on the budget. County staff indicated no immediate action was required at the meeting but noted the cost impact would influence budgeting and procurement considerations going forward.
The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes; staff recommended the figures be used in upcoming budget planning and to assess disposal contract terms.
