Chairman Foster says Solid Waste Commission will run landfill operations in‑house starting July 1, 2026

Chairman Foster, representing the Solid Waste Management Commission, told the Board of Supervisors that the commission decided in May 2025 to take over day‑to‑day landfill operations and expects to start county‑run operations on July 1, 2026.

“July 1 will be our first day we're gonna have our own operations with our own staff,” Foster said while outlining the transition plan. He described the commission’s long history and said the decision followed financial benchmarking and an evaluation of social and environmental risks.

Foster said initial staffing plans call for about 15 operational employees plus a facility manager and an office manager. He laid out capital needs the commission has identified: “Our initial analysis was about $10,000,000 just, just to buy all the equipment upfront cost,” he said, adding that amortized over equipment life the commission estimates roughly $1,000,000 per year in capital costs.

Board members pressed about likely price impacts for residents. Foster said the commission expects some increase but does not anticipate a “quite a bit” jump and pointed to the commission’s reserve funds and financing strategies (leasing and purchase options) to buffer short‑term impacts.

On revenue, Foster said the landfill’s methane‑to‑pipeline project recently came online and reported roughly $45,000 in revenue last year; with the recent connection he said deliveries and revenue are expected to increase substantially. He offered to return with air quality and revenue reports.

Foster also acknowledged communication gaps with the public, saying meeting notices and minutes were published but that the commission needs to improve outreach and hired or planned to hire an education and community outreach specialist to help clarify services and operations.

Why it matters: Bringing operations in‑house shifts direct operational responsibility from a contractor to the public entity that owns the landfill, with implications for staffing, capital budgets and future tipping‑fee policy. The commission framed the move as a way to control social and environmental risks and capture long‑term efficiencies; supervisors asked for follow‑up reporting on air quality, cost projections and staffing as the July 1 date approaches.

Next steps: The commission will proceed with recruitment, finalize procurement and return with more detailed financial and air‑quality reporting. The board did not take a separate vote on the presentation itself.