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Recycling manager urges buying packer truck to curb route inefficiencies; landfill capacity raises long-term concerns
Summary
Solid waste staff recommended purchasing a packer truck and new front-load dumpsters to reduce route duplication and estimated $46,000 in annual operating savings; the committee heard that an airspace survey shows portions of the county landfill are overfilled, prompting uncertainty about future operations.
Solid waste and recycling staff presented a proposal to buy a packer truck and front-load dumpsters for township recycling routes, saying the change would let the department consolidate pickups and reduce duplicated trips. "It would reduce expenses by $46,000 a year," the solid waste director told the committee, arguing the change would improve route efficiency and could enable future revenue from commercial recycling services.
Staff also reported an airspace survey indicating parts of the landfill are overfilled and noted contract changes by a hauler that will divert some wastes away from the county facility in coming months. The director said the county currently receives roughly $142,000 a year in state recycling grant funding and that the county's role as the responsible unit for municipal recycling complicates any proposal to fully hand services back to individual townships. Committee members queried payback time, asset life, alternative private hauling arrangements, and whether the county should subsidize the townships. Staff suggested staging the investment: prioritize front-load dumpsters and explore financing or partial Ho-Chunk funding for the truck while refining route and revenue projections.
Committee asked staff to return with more detailed cost/benefit analysis, financing options and clearer plans tied to landfill status before committing major equipment purchases.
