By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A task force formed to advise the St. Joseph City Council on the future of the city landfill recommends the city increase landfill rates.
The Landfill Task Force recommends the city increase landfill rates by $10 at the beginning of next year and another $10 the following year. The recommendation would increase the St. Joseph Landfill rates from $40 a ton to $50 a ton, effective January first of next year and increase fees to $60 a ton at the beginning of 2027.
City officials state tipping fees at the landfill have remained relatively unchanged for decades. A rate of $30 a ton was set in 2007, raised to $34 in 2013, lowered to $32 in 2018, then raised to the current $40 a ton in August of last year. Usage at the landfill has increased from 105,000 tons in 2015 to 215,000 last year.
Construction is underway to develop Cell 8 after Cell 7 reached capacity and had to have permission from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to accept more trash. Staff at the landfill have begun to prepare Cell 9 at the landfill.
The recommendation of the Landfill Task Force goes before the St. Joseph City Council for initial approval Monday, June 9th. If given preliminary approval, the fee increase would come before the city council during its meeting Monday, June 23rd.
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