Board approves combined design and permitting for landfill Cells 8 and 9 to extend capacity and reduce long‑term costs

Public Works staff told the board Cell 7 — the cell currently being filled — has about "2.43 years of life remaining in that cell." Staff proposed combining Cells 8 and 9 into a single design and construction project to create roughly 10 years of additional airspace and to realize an estimated $1,000,000 in savings over a decade through economies of scale on engineering and construction mobilizations.

Several supervisors questioned the borrowing and carrying costs for the larger upfront financing (one supervisor flagged an additional roughly $3,000,000 in borrowing and asked about interest and bond terms). Staff and finance advisers said the county would set the bond term to match the useful life of the asset and that the larger project could smooth tipping‑fee increases and reduce total long‑term costs. The board voted to authorize engineering, design and permitting for combined Cells 8 and 9 and later approved a reimbursement resolution to allow staff to cover preliminary costs if necessary.

The board emphasized the decision aims to avoid being without landfill capacity while seeking DEQ approvals and noted the proposal could reduce future taxpayer costs compared with a cell‑by‑cell approach.