Deschutes County adopts FY2027 solid-waste fee-waiver program

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously June 24 to adopt Resolution 2026-036, continuing a county program that waives disposal fees for qualifying community organizations and cleanup efforts in fiscal year 2027.

"This year we actually have the same amount for the fee waivers," said Jeff Merwin, Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste director, describing last year’s program and the proposed funding for the coming fiscal year. Merwin said the program helps groups dispose of items that cannot be resold and supports community cleanups, including homeless-camp removal and neighborhood Firewise projects.

Merwin told commissioners that last year about $43,000 in waivers had been authorized and that staff is proposing an up-to-$45,000 program for FY2027. He said the resolution identifies a list of eligible organizations and that the county also maintains a roughly $10,000 set-aside for special requests such as church garage-sale cleanups. New recipients this year include a local Habitat for Humanity chapter, and staff cited continued participation from organizations that perform large-scale cleanups.

Commissioners asked for clarity about limits on individual requests. Merwin said the director has authority to approve smaller waivers (he referenced director-level approvals around $2,500) and that larger requests are capped by the resolution and budget. Commissioners also asked where material collected through Firewise dumpsters is disposed; Merwin said some high-volume Firewise material is landfill-bound due to quantity.

A commissioner moved approval of Resolution 2026-036 and a second was provided. The board approved the resolution by voice vote with all present voting yes.

Next steps: the Solid Waste Department will continue to process waiver requests under the adopted resolution and will field follow-up questions from community groups about eligibility and caps.