Officials weigh switching trash hauling and a Rosebud County offer to accept Treasure County waste

Treasure County and town officials spent part of a joint meeting on Aug. 20 reviewing solid-waste hauling and billing options after concerns that current hauling costs are high and invoices fluctuate.

A county participant said he contacted neighboring counties and landfill operators and reported that a Rosebud County commissioner (Bob Lee) indicated Rosebud might accept Treasure County's waste under a model that averages about one ton of garbage per household per year. "On the average, they figure a household puts out 2,000 or 1 ton of garbage a year... so it's a $125 per household," the participant said.

Speakers noted the county currently pays by weight (tons) to Republic and that Republic's bills fluctuate month to month based on tonnage. They discussed two models: continuing with a hauling vendor who bills by ton or negotiating a per-household subscription model. Practical constraints — such as whether a contractor has drivers or a CDL-qualified driver to haul material — were raised, and the participants emphasized the need to verify household counts against tax rolls before running preliminary cost estimates.

No contract changes were approved. The group agreed the county should follow up to determine the number of households, contract expiration dates and whether a neighboring county or different contractor could offer a financially viable alternative.

Next steps: staff will compile household counts and contract expiration information and report back so the jurisdictions can weigh whether to change hauling arrangements.