Kootenai County solid waste director outlines landfill capping, recommends condensate pump station; flags contractor pickup lapses

John Phillips, director of Kootenai County Solid Waste, told the Board of County Commissioners on July 7 that the department is preparing to cap older areas of the county landfill and expects construction to begin in mid‑July.

"Approximately 14 acres of closure turf and 6.5 acres of the capture interim material were pre purchased," Phillips said, noting the county formally solicited bids and awarded the general‑contractor agreement on 06/09/2026 to Selling Construction. He said a pre‑construction meeting was scheduled for 07/09/2026 and that the team aims to complete the work during the current construction season.

The update covered several other projects and operational topics. Phillips said a successful ultrafiltration and reverse‑osmosis pilot produced reclaimed water and the county has asked Jacobs Engineering to prepare permit application materials for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to allow on‑site reuse for irrigation or dust control. He also described grading and stormwater planning at the Ramsey transfer station, and said Jacobs staff and county survey crews are finalizing grades for planned expansion.

On infrastructure needs, Phillips said repeated blockages in the gravity condensate drain at Landfill Cell E1 have prompted Parametrics Engineering to recommend a permanent condensate pump station. "It's now being recommended by the engineer that we install a permanent pump station to handle this condensate flow," he said, adding that Parametrics completed the design work within the normal budget but that construction will likely be a non‑budgeted expense that must be bid. Phillips said the department will supply the board with an engineer's cost estimate when the design is final.

Phillips also reviewed operations statistics. He said Finding Creek Landfill has been receiving about 900 tons per day of municipal solid waste on average; the landfill gas collection system is drawing roughly 1,400 standard cubic feet per minute, of which about 1,000 scfm is used by the gas‑to‑energy plant and the balance is flared. Phillips said KRE has discussed adding a third engine to the site but that plan remains on hold pending contract renewal discussions.

Transfer station traffic and tonnage are up countywide, Phillips said, and wood waste surged after recent high‑wind events: Ramsey saw wood waste increase by about 85% (roughly 2,683 more tons) and Prairie by about 34% (roughly 877 more tons) compared with the same timeframe last year. Ramsey's new Express drop‑off handled about 9,392 customers from May through June and took in about 251 tons in that period.

Phillips raised concerns about performance at several unstaffed rural collection sites over the Fourth‑of‑July holiday weekend. He said Sunshine Disposal, the county's contracted hauler, "has faltered from time to time" and that most instances were reported as equipment breakdowns; in response, the county mobilized its own crew and equipment to assist overloaded sites. Phillips said he sent Sunshine a written reminder of contractual obligations and asked the company to put any contract concerns in writing for county review.

"I applaud you for staying on top of it," the chair said during that exchange, commending Phillips for following up on complaints. A resident in public comment suggested adding contract language allowing the county to charge a hauler for the county's cost when the county must pick up the slack: "it ought to be in there what it's gonna cost them and you bill it for it," the speaker said.

Phillips closed the presentation with comparative statistics showing customer counts and tonnage increases across transfer stations and the landfill, and noted the department will pursue the life‑cycle analysis update for the landfill with Jacobs, expecting completion in October 2026. The board moved on with no votes recorded on the items presented; the meeting adjourned at 11:28 a.m.