Lane County Commissioners voted Tuesday to increase disposal fees and reduce services at three waste transfer stations in the county.
Commissioners voted to increase disposal fees by 5% and add a $10 minimum fee increase. They also voted to close the Walton transfer station, and reduce the days the Creswell and Veneta transfer stations will be open. The Creswell station will only operate on Fridays and Saturdays. The Veneta station will reduce operations to Wednesday through Saturday.
These changes will close a $3 million structural operating budget deficit, which county officials believe is the result of waste hauler Sanipac not paying into the system benefit fee that helps fund the transfer stations.
Commissioner Heather Buch said there needs to be a long term solution for cities using Sanipac.
“Ultimately their residents use these transfer stations too, and they know the benefit of it, but everybody has to pay into the system in order to make it work,” said Buch.
Creswell, one of the cities currently using Sanipac, voted in April to leave the intergovernmental agreement between the city and Lane County that requires Sanipac to pay the system benefit fees.
Commissioner David Loveall said cities that are currently using Sanipac are doing so to provide a cheaper waste service to their residents.
“Springfield, Cottage Grove and Creswell, they began exporting their garbage to cheaper alternatives. That's just business,” said Loveall.
The fee increases and transfer station changes will begin on Aug. 10.
