Rich County discusses updated solid-waste plan, landfill monitoring and new fee schedule; staff to prepare public hearing

Rich County's sanitation supervisor told the commission the state is requesting an updated long-range solid-waste plan and that the county must add procedures for landfill monitoring and future waste management needs.

Lynn Weston (speaker 2) said the county's plan on file dates to 1993 and must be updated "to estimate solid waste needs for the next 20 years," including recycling, hazardous/regulated wastes and facility design. Weston described a requirement for quarterly methane monitoring and said the first-year monitoring proposal would run in the low-to-mid four-figure range, depending on contractor bids.

Commissioners discussed a draft fee schedule for landfill/scale charges. Staff noted a current working baseline of $30 per ton for many loads and suggested introducing standard flat fees for small residential trailers or a limited annual allowance for residents. "If you miss the free cleanup period, you'd pay," one commissioner said as staff emphasized the need for a fee schedule that prevents abuse by commercial haulers bringing out-of-county loads.

The commission also discussed operational improvements: adopting an on-site credit-card terminal to speed transactions, adding proof-of-ownership requirements for titled items (boats, mobile homes) to avoid taking stolen property, and seeking competitive bids for methane-monitoring services before committing public funds.

Action taken: Commissioners directed staff to prepare a formal fee schedule and bring it back for a public hearing (required before adoption). They asked staff to gather vendor lists and price metrics for methane monitoring and to explore a merchant terminal for on-site credit-card payments.

Next steps: County staff will draft the fee schedule and advertise a public hearing so residents can comment before commissioners vote on any new fees.