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Authority votes to remove unstaffed recycling bins in Smith River after years of contamination
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Summary
The Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority adopted a resolution documenting multi-year attempts to reduce contamination at community recycling bins and approved Change Order 26 to remove unstaffed bins in Smith River (and a housekeeping removal in Hiuchi), directing staff to handle public notice and outreach.
Vice Chair Jason Greeno, vice chair of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, said the board adopted a formal resolution after years of efforts to reduce contamination at community recycling bins and approved a contract change to remove several unstaffed drop-off sites.
"We can't keep paying for someone's trash," Vice Chair Jason Greeno said as the board moved to adopt Resolution 2026-02, which the staff presented as a record of prior attempts to reduce contamination before authorizing removal. The motion was moved by a commissioner and seconded; the board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution and then to approve Change Order 26 to remove the unstaffed bins.
Staff described multiple past efforts: consolidation of two sets of bins into a single fenced area across from the Community Services District building in Smith River, targeted outreach and signage, tribal partnership training, and site postings. John Perry, who staff asked to comment, said the authority posted notices for "probably a month, month and a half of notification" before earlier bin relocations and has tried education and audits with local partners.
Board members said the decision followed repeated contamination that forced Recology to send recyclables straight to disposal much of the time, creating ongoing operational costs. Ted, the authority director, said Recology has spent more than anticipated managing the site but contamination levels remained high despite those efforts.
Commissioners and staff discussed outreach. Commissioner Starkey asked about proactive public messaging; staff said they had previously posted notices, used signage and outreach and would include the rationale in the resolution text so the story is clear for residents. Staff also said that if a staffed northern transfer station becomes available, an existing staffed bin could be relocated there, but that option would require another change order and resources.
The change order also removes a long-defunct contractual requirement to provide a bin in Hiuchi; staff described that as a housekeeping change because no bin has been in place there for many years. The board amended an agenda line to avoid confusing geographic language and then approved the change order by unanimous vote.
The board directed staff to communicate the reasons for removal, continue exploring staffed transfer-station options for Smith River, and post notices at consistent public locations. The resolution and change order formalize the authority's record of attempts to sustain community recycling at those unstaffed sites and the decision to pause those services where contamination prevents effective recycling.
