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Commissioners weigh new landfill fees for organic materials as hauling costs rise
Summary
Solid waste staff proposed specific charges to account for high hauling costs when organic materials (grass, leaves) must be transported to Mud Lake; commissioners asked for clearer wording separating commercial vs residential haulers and agreed to include clarifying language in the fee exhibit.
Solid-waste staff presented adjustments to landfill fee lines that would add charges when organic materials must be transported from County Line to the Mud Lake facility. Mike, the solid-waste presenter, gave arithmetic to justify the proposal: "If just the 4 big trucks, it cost us a $145 an hour to run the big truck and pups … at 8 hours ... that's $18,560 that it costs us to haul that grass to Mud Lake," he said, arguing that the extra charge was intended to recoup real hauling costs rather than subsidize commercial traffic.
Commissioners and staff discussed practical definitions (pickup vs pickup+trailer, commercial landscapers vs residential loads) and the locations involved (Circular Butte vs Mud Lake). Several suggested adding clarifying language to the fee lines to ensure the fee applies only when material must be re-transported to Circular Butte and when the county incurs extra hauling. The board asked staff to rewrite the fee descriptions to delineate commercial versus residential loads, to note where charges apply, and to confirm parity with neighboring counties before final publication.
Outcome and next steps: Commissioners did not increase fees on the spot; they asked solid-waste staff to return with revised exhibit language that explicitly identifies organic material surcharges tied to retransportation costs and how those fees will be applied for pickups, pickups+trailers, and commercial haulers.
