Sierra County Moves Toward Higher Solid Waste Fees

SIERRA COUNTY — The Sierra County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposed solid waste fee increase at a special meeting on June 30, setting in motion a notice-and-protest process before the higher charges are imposed. The proposal would raise the residential solid waste assessment, found on property tax bills, from $366.84 to $403.56 per dwelling unit for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

For a single residential unit, the change amounts to an increase of $36.72 per year, or about $3.06 per month. In total, the new yearly rate works out to $33.63 per month and would cover customary household waste at county transfer stations in lieu of gate fees. Non-residential users would also see an increase, with the rate rising from $20.38 to $22.42 per loose, uncompacted cubic yard.

Public Works Director Josh Handel told supervisors the increase is intended to maintain the county’s current solid waste services and meet state regulatory requirements. The county operates five transfer stations, located in Loyalton, Sattley, Sierra City, Ramshorn near Downieville, and Alleghany.

Handel described the proposal as the “smallest increase feasible” while still keeping the system operating. He said costs have risen since the county’s last fee increase in 2022, including inflation in wages, materials, and services.

The proposed solid waste enterprise budget totals $1,670,642. Budget documents show $1,517,421 in projected revenue, including $1,182,421 from solid waste fees, $290,000 in rollover funds, and smaller amounts from interest, building permits, recyclables, and transfer station fees.

Several specific costs drew discussion from supervisors. Handel said the budget includes $119,000 for buildings and improvements, covering repairs to a retaining wall at the Sattley transfer station and paving work at the Loyalton transfer station to improve vehicle access and turnaround space.

The budget also includes $45,000 for water testing tied to post-closure requirements at the former Loyalton landfill. Handel said the county is in the fifth year of a five-year testing cycle required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Green waste costs were another major part of the discussion. The budget includes $55,000 for green waste hauling, separate from the county’s $375,000 hauling contract, and $36,000 for disposal of ash or ash-like material accumulated at transfer stations over many years.

Handel said the green waste hauling budget would allow the county to clear Sierra City, Loyalton, and Ramshorn once per year. Alleghany is not expected to need annual clearing for the foreseeable future, he said.

The county is also preparing a corrective action plan that would set volume caps for green waste at each transfer station, Handel said. He told supervisors the county intends to explore other options over the next year, including beneficial reuse of some material, while testing to determine how much of the accumulated material is actually ash.

Chair Paul Roen drew a distinction between household garbage fees and green waste costs. “The solid waste fee is for garbage,” Roen said, adding that green waste service has been handled for community benefit with county support.

Supervisors also discussed concerns about out-of-county use of Sierra County transfer stations, especially for green waste. Supervisor Sharon Dryden urged staff to make sure gate attendants are checking whether people are Sierra County residents.

“I’ve always been opposed to gate fees because I don’t want people dumping out in the forest,” Dryden said. Still, she said Sierra County taxpayers should not be subsidizing disposal for people coming from neighboring counties. Chair Roen pointed to past cases of haulers being paid to illegally deposit waste from out-of-county residents at Sierra County transfer sites to circumvent fees.

Handel and supervisors also placed the new rate in historical context. Handel said the residential solid waste fee was over $420 per dwelling unit during the years around the Loyalton landfill closure, then dropped to about $330 in 2020 as unspent funds accumulated.

Handel said unspent funds peaked at about $500,000 in 2022, then remained near $400,000 for several years. The current proposed budget identifies about $290,000 in remaining unspent funds, and Handel said the budget would draw that amount down further because expenses exceed revenue, even after the fee increase. If the increase is rejected by residents, Handel says the county would need to reduce services.

Supervisor Lee Adams said the county’s small population makes the solid waste system unusually expensive to operate on a per-person basis. “We operate five sites for 3,000 people,” Adams said. “I think that's probably unheard of anywhere else.”

Adams said he viewed the increase as a way to avoid falling behind on costs and needing a larger correction later. He also emphasized that the proposal will now go to ratepayers through the protest process.

Next, the county will mail notices to affected property owners explaining the proposed fee, how it is calculated, and how to file a written protest. If a majority of property owners subject to the charge submit protests, the increased fee will not be imposed. The public hearing to discuss the proposal and protests is tentatively scheduled for September 1 at 10 AM in the Board of Supervisors Chambers in Downieville.