Contractor says buried debris slowed compost-site cleanup; board told work could take months

La Porte County Solid Waste District board members were told July 8 that cleanup at the district's compost site will take longer than the contractor originally promised after crews encountered buried debris that requires hand-sifting.

"We're finding things like manholes, fire hydrants, buried pipes," said Valerie Wunderlich, who answered the board's call about progress at the site. "It's debris that's too big to screen because it's the same size as the wood, so we're having to physically sift through everything." She said the contractor's equipment has suffered at least three major breakdowns and that the work has caused about $27,000 in damage to a machine so far.

The board challenged the contractor's pace. "You were substantially undercut the next bid, and you promised to get this done in three weeks and there's very little progress made," Commissioner Steve Holofield said. Holofield asked why only one operator was on-site; the contractor said crew size fluctuated and that a grinder's breakdown reduced capacity.

Wunderlich estimated the remaining work will take "about two to three months." She said she would check whether adding crew members would accelerate the schedule and whether delays would affect the contract price.

Board members pressed for clarity on the contracted crew size. The district's contract documents, cited in discussion, called for a two- to five-person crew, and several board members said the district had paid for that level of staffing. The board asked staff to follow up with the contractor's on-site supervisor and to report back with a timeline and staffing plan.

The extended cleanup timeline has practical implications for site capacity. Commissioners said they are already stockpiling brush and need the upper portion of the site open for sorting to avoid a repeat backlog. The board directed staff to involve Commissioner Holofield and Director Robin in ongoing oversight and to seek immediate updates from the contractor on crew size and progress.

The board did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting but requested specific responses from the contractor about staffing and schedule. The district will receive a more detailed update once staff have spoken with the on-site supervisor.