County landfill update: staff estimate limited capacity in current cell, plan to maintain in-house operations

Solid-waste staff updated the commissioners on landfill operations during the Feb. 9 meeting and said the current active cell (Zone 5) is roughly more than 50% complete. Based on present digging and cover practices, staff estimated the current cell capacity could last approximately one to one-and-a-half years; staff also noted that completion of nearby projects and new lined cells at other counties could extend available regional capacity.

The solid-waste representative said historically a full cell excavation could take multiple years and emphasized the preference to balance digging and covering operations to avoid hauling spoil material unnecessarily. Commissioners discussed whether to continue with in-house excavation or hire contractors; staff said if the county does the work in-house they can better coordinate using excavated material for cover, and noted they will email the commissioners with a more detailed forecast and schedule.

The board accepted the update and asked staff to provide projections for different scenarios (with and without neighboring-county capacity changes) so the board can plan for operational and budget decisions.