DPW: Landfill cell 7 on track for fall completion; dredging and new litter-control coordinator outlined

Deputy Director of Public Works Adam Corey presented the department’s quarterly update, covering four focus areas: a new roadside litter-control coordinator, solid-waste updates (including landfill cell 7), dredging and engineering updates (Sharp's Point relocation), and water/sewer work.

Litter-control program: The County is creating a new Community Litter Program Coordinator position that will begin July 1; an existing solid-waste employee, Jennifer Albero, will transfer into the role on day one. The coordinator will manage roadside litter collection, coordinate with NGOs and municipal partners, and act as a law-enforcement liaison for covered loads and illegal dumping. Funding for additional part-time hires to support roadside remediation was included in the recently approved roads division budget.

Landfill cell 7 and solid waste: Corey reviewed aerial volumetric surveys and construction progress. After a 2025 aerial warned the county it had roughly a year of space left, engineering, a new haul road and construction actions extended capacity: the department reported availability into December and a substantial-completion contractual milestone of August 17 and final completion by October 1, 2026. Dynamic compaction and subgrade preparation started in late May; the expected operational life for cell 7 is roughly 5½ to 6½ years under current tonnage trends. DPW also discussed the long-term horizontal expansion across Brick Kiln Road and the tradeoffs and additional costs associated with relocating overhead utilities and power lines.

Dredging and beneficial reuse: Work at Sharp's Point and other dredging cells is underway with contractors removing upland sediment for immediate placement and marsh restoration. A March 2026 survey identified roughly 372,000 cubic yards to target for Army Corps dredging; the county is working with partners (Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, USACE and state agencies) to pursue grants (Roots for Resilience grant application mentioned) and identify upland placement and marsh restoration sites. County-owned upland parcels (including the former Webster/Maryland Food Bank campus) will be used as temporary storage and to facilitate beneficial reuse.

Water and sewer integration: Corey and Planning Director Tracy Taylor outlined the water/sewer plan update effort that will align the county’s 2010 water and sewer plan with the 2027 comprehensive plan update, grid the county for consistent service-area mapping, and reconcile priority funding areas and septic tiers.

Council members praised staff for the landfill progress and asked for continued transparency on timing and the longer-term horizontal expansion work. DPW encouraged the public to contact staff for tours or to view construction in person.

Corey closed by noting opportunities to use recovered on-site material to reduce import costs, the potential capital requirements for horizontal expansion (a multi-million dollar effort), and the county’s pursuit of interagency grants for marsh restoration and dredged-material reuse.