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Bonner County approves $30,300 point‑of‑sale system for solid‑waste sites after public questions on costs
Summary
The board approved purchasing a Stellar Scale point‑of‑sale system (system $30,300; first‑year subscription $21,760; $21,760 per year thereafter) for 11 solid‑waste collection sites; commenters asked about ROI, recurring costs and future scaling for card systems and scales.
The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted April 14 to buy a point‑of‑sale system for the county’s 11 solid‑waste collection sites and office, approving a motion that separates the one‑time system cost from recurring subscription fees.
Melissa Gault, operations manager for Solid Waste, told the board the "Stellar Scale tech system will enable staff to create customer receipts and invoices, process payments, and generate reports," noting that current sites accept only cash and checks and staff manually record receipts.
During discussion staff and commissioners clarified the cost: the system itself is $30,300; the first‑year subscription is $21,760; the subscription is $21,760 per year for the next two years (the motion authorizes the purchase and the recurring subscription). The agenda initially listed a higher combined figure ($52,060) that staff corrected during the meeting.
Several members of the public asked about return on investment and ongoing costs. "I was just wondering if there's been an ROI done on this, and if there's been the recurring cost, the yearly cost, is this gonna be worth it?" asked Spencer Hutchings, a resident. Gault said the change is intended to improve safety, reduce cash handling risk and build a foundation for future efficiency, not to directly earn revenue: "It was also a safety, a security, and then addressing, the people's concern about taking cash..."
Wayne Martin, another resident, asked about the annual cost and whether the system will integrate with future card or card‑track solutions and scales; staff said the system under consideration will integrate with a future card system and that scales remain a hoped‑for later phase.
Commissioners framed the purchase as a foundational capital improvement to allow better tracking and future policy options, such as charging by volume once scales are available. The motion to approve the purchase was made and seconded and passed by roll call.
Implementation notes: Solid Waste will proceed with system purchase and initial subscription; future phases (card integration, scales) will require separate funding and action.
Next steps: Solid Waste staff will coordinate procurement and begin subscription onboarding; the board asked that costs and integration plans be tracked against capital planning.
