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Board directs staff to fix American Avenue landfill wait times, clarify C&D rules and review fees
Summary
After weeks of complaints about long waits and rejected construction-and-demolition loads, supervisors directed staff to expand signage and public education, ensure safety-vest availability, study an additional scale/lanes and review tipping fees and the city contract; staff will return with cost and operational options.
The Board of Supervisors on March 17 directed county staff to take a set of operational and policy actions after lengthy public and commercial-hauler complaints about long wait times and the treatment of construction and demolition (C&D) loads at the American Avenue landfill.
Public Works and Environmental Health staff described Ordinance 8.25, a county disposal ban intended to divert C&D materials under state diversion rules (AB 939). Staff said exemptions permit small self-hauler loads (up to three cubic yards) or co-mingled loads with less than 20% C&D, but larger commercial rolloffs with higher C&D proportions should be routed to permitted C&D facilities.
Steve White, Public Works and Planning director, told supervisors the county is enforcing the ordinance by rejecting and redirecting non-exempt loads; he warned that accepting and on-site sorting would require capital work, environmental review and likely a multi-million-dollar investment and long lead time.
Commercial haulers and board members pressed staff on wait times and operational fixes. Supervisors asked for options including a dedicated express lane for commercial haulers, a second or portable scale to reduce queue times, more robust signage and public education, and a review of the city-of-Fresno landfill contract that staff said currently constrains fee adjustments. Several supervisors said fees could be raised if wait times and service improved; staff said the landfill operates as an enterprise and capital or operational changes could be passed to customers.
Board direction
The board unanimously directed staff to: - Expand on-site and roadway signage and public education about the C&D disposal rules and exemptions. - Ensure safety vests are available to self-haulers at the landfill entrance and implement a process to reclaim vests on exit. - Study operational changes to reduce wait times, including lane configuration and an additional portable or permanent scale, and return with cost estimates and implementation timelines. - Review tipping fees and the existing city-of-Fresno contract to determine whether and how rates should be adjusted so enterprise costs are recovered.
Staff said they will prepare a flow analysis and cost estimates for board review and coordinate with county counsel and the city for any contract or ordinance changes. The board also asked that staff continue targeted enforcement of the C&D ban while improving customer-facing communications to reduce illegal dumping and public frustration.
