Culbertson council declares emergency, approves purchase of new landfill loader and sets operations contract
July 20, 2026 | Culbertson, Roosevelt County, Montana
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The Culbertson Town Council declared the purchase of a new landfill loader an emergency and approved buying a John Deere 555B crawler/loader to meet state requirements for daily cover at the new landfill.
The decision, announced during council sessions in June and August 1987, came after the council reviewed competing bids and warranty and financing terms from machinery dealers. Gery Haag of Midwest Industrial Machinery and Myron Heupel of Western Plains Machinery discussed equipment warranties and temporary replacement availability. The council adopted a motion to accept Midwest Machinery's bid of $55,650 for a fully specified John Deere 555B with a $10,000 down payment and financing to be spread over seven years at an agreed interest arrangement; the motion passed after a tie-breaking vote by Mayor James Baldwin.
Why it matters: council members said the purchase was time-sensitive because state regulators threatened penalties if the new landfill did not provide daily cover; the machine purchase was budgeted in the 1987 2088 fiscal year.
The council also addressed operations. It offered Lynn Labatte a 90-day trial contract to open and cover refuse and to maintain landfill equipment; the contract set hourly and monthly compensation rules for gate staffing, burial work and maintenance. Council recorded requirements from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences for monthly groundwater monitoring at landfill monitoring wells for one year and reporting to the Solid & Hazardous Waste Bureau.
Additional operational steps included ordering signage for the landfill approach, procuring a used fuel tank for on-site fueling, and alternating local fuel vendors for supply. The council discussed a plan to survey initial landfill users to determine residency (town or country), vehicle type and waste type to inform fee structure and explored whether to charge all dump users and pay the county for pit excavation.
Council next steps: finalize the purchase contract with Midwest Machinery and complete the financial paperwork on delivery, begin the landfill user survey, and implement the monitoring and burn-pit procedures required by state health officials.
The decision, announced during council sessions in June and August 1987, came after the council reviewed competing bids and warranty and financing terms from machinery dealers. Gery Haag of Midwest Industrial Machinery and Myron Heupel of Western Plains Machinery discussed equipment warranties and temporary replacement availability. The council adopted a motion to accept Midwest Machinery's bid of $55,650 for a fully specified John Deere 555B with a $10,000 down payment and financing to be spread over seven years at an agreed interest arrangement; the motion passed after a tie-breaking vote by Mayor James Baldwin.
Why it matters: council members said the purchase was time-sensitive because state regulators threatened penalties if the new landfill did not provide daily cover; the machine purchase was budgeted in the 1987 2088 fiscal year.
The council also addressed operations. It offered Lynn Labatte a 90-day trial contract to open and cover refuse and to maintain landfill equipment; the contract set hourly and monthly compensation rules for gate staffing, burial work and maintenance. Council recorded requirements from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences for monthly groundwater monitoring at landfill monitoring wells for one year and reporting to the Solid & Hazardous Waste Bureau.
Additional operational steps included ordering signage for the landfill approach, procuring a used fuel tank for on-site fueling, and alternating local fuel vendors for supply. The council discussed a plan to survey initial landfill users to determine residency (town or country), vehicle type and waste type to inform fee structure and explored whether to charge all dump users and pay the county for pit excavation.
Council next steps: finalize the purchase contract with Midwest Machinery and complete the financial paperwork on delivery, begin the landfill user survey, and implement the monitoring and burn-pit procedures required by state health officials.
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