County staff say recycling use continues while MRF and landfill work move forward

Landfill and waste-operations staff told the Board that community recycling activity is ongoing and that construction shingles remain the facility’s largest revenue source. "It looks like there was a 130 recycle in the month of April and 20 recycled through May," a staff member reported, noting the community continues to use diversion services.

Staff credited recent operational upgrades—an SMS documentation platform and a second scale—with improving day-to-day recording and giving the county more accurate data. "Both of these improvements, at least, I feel have made a big difference in our day-to-day operations," the staff member said, adding that initial setup required a learning curve but that the systems have streamlined workflows.

County officials also heard an update on a planned material-recovery facility (MRF). Staff said the county has secured grant funding and is in the NEPA phase, after which the project will move into design. Commissioners said that once federal real-estate conveyance is finished for a front parcel, the county will have more control over signage and pulling traffic off the highway to improve ingress and egress safety at the landfill.

Commissioners pressed staff about staffing levels and hiring. The presenter said the department is hiring two administrative employees but is having more difficulty attracting operators and that current staff have been working overtime. The board discussed weekend staffing challenges and recognized employees for their service.

Next steps include continuing the NEPA and design work for the MRF, tracking recruitment progress for operators and monitoring traffic changes once parcel conveyance is finalized.