As Alaska struggles to deal with a $3.5 billion budget gap, the Kenai Peninsula Borough is investigating closing its landfills and solid waste transfer sites one day a week as a way to save money.
Borough Mayor Mike Navarre…
Mayor Navarre: “The costs of operating the landfill are significant, solid waste is one of the more expensive services we provide to the public and what we’re looking at is whether or not we can close down one day a week and not negatively impact the service that we’re providing. Certainly there’ll be some changes but it’s a cost-saving measure that we’re looking at moving forward with.”
Borough staff is evaluating the average amount of garbage and materials received at the sites each day of the week to determine when it would be best to close.
Mayor Navarre: “With the idea toward having the day that we’re closed having the least impact on residents and at the same time accommodate the commercial haulers. Initially we though that because of the waste tonage, Sunday was the lowest day but it’s also a fairly high day for individuals taking their trash to the dump so it may be that another day will work better so we’re exploring that now.”
Mayor Navarre says the cost saving measure would be implemented as of July 1 for the upcoming fiscal year.
Depending on what the evaluation finds, a recommendation for closing the landfill one day a week could be introduced to the Borough Assembly at their May 3 meeting.