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Commission pays two Solid Waste Authority invoices and flags county collection shortfall
Summary
The Commission approved payments of $68,256.73 and $111,966.50 to the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority for prior fiscal‑year collection shortfalls; officials said long-term options include raising fees, subsidizing operations, or changing service levels.
Danette Cabber, interim director of the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority (EVSWA), told commissioners the authority ran a deficit in county collection operations: about $111,000 for FY23 and $68,000 for FY24. "We were short in the year FY23 by $111,000 and in the year FY24 by $68,000," Cabber said, explaining that reduced fuel costs and other savings had narrowed but not eliminated the shortfall. The invoices correspond to county collection costs for eight transfer stations and related operations.
Commissioners discussed the contractual relationship between the county and EVSWA — the prior contract expired in 2021 — and the policy choices available to close the funding gap: increase quarterly collection fees, subsidize operations from the General Fund, or curtail service hours/locations. Chair Ryan Schwebach described the options as "raise collections, we can subsidize it, or we can cut services." The board voted to pay the two invoices and directed staff to return with options for a sustainable contract structure and fee policy.
