Kittitas County limits large lithium batteries, caps household oil at new transfer station; staff outline transition timeline

Patti Staceyo, a county staff member listed in the meeting minutes, told the Kittitas County Solid Waste and Maintenance board on Jan. 13 that the county will not accept lithium batteries weighing more than 13 pounds at the new transfer station and will limit oil and antifreeze disposal to 20 gallons per household per day.

The update, given as the county prepares to open a new facility, said staff are still testing procedures and estimating costs for handling restricted materials and that a public education campaign will be needed during the transition. Patti also reported that fiber installation at the new site remains outstanding, which is delaying some operational moves.

Staff outlined a phased schedule: the office and the MRW facility are targeted to move in mid-February and the Transfer Station is expected to open and begin operations in late April. The minutes record a separate discussion about routing the facility’s mail to the courthouse instead of maintaining a mailbox on Highway 97. The board also discussed continuing the public hearing to surplus the existing office after legal counsel raised concerns about the resolution’s wording.

The board heard an update on the unsecured-load fee, which was implemented in October. Patti reported the number of unsecured loads processed by month: October 304, November 266, December 168 and 87 in January to date. The minutes show the board discussed that fees collected are earmarked for education and outreach and emphasized greater public notification and highlighting the county’s Litter Crew Program.

Next steps recorded in the minutes include completing fiber installation, finalizing testing and cost estimates for restricted materials handling, and rolling out public education before the new facility opens.