SWAN VALLEY – Swan Valley residents are voicing opinions and opposition to the Condon Container Site proposed at a Swan Valley Community Council meeting in April. Comments on the Missoula County Voice website are currently running approximately 80% against with just over 10% in favor of the proposal. Comments on the proposal are being gathered for informational purposes and the topic will be discussed again at the June 21 Council meeting.
Shane Stack, Missoula County Public Works Director, said the next step is to go back before the Community Council. It is up to the community if Missoula County leaves the proposal open for additional comment with more outreach and education, moves forward with investigation toward a more concrete proposal or does nothing more.
The Container Site idea came from meetings regarding the Swan Valley Regional Plan draft now in front of the Missoula County Commissioners. Garbage is not a new issue for the Condon area, said Kathy Koors, Council Chair. There have been community meetings held on different occasions since the 1980s.
The Public Works Department started the investigative process for the Condon Container site in 2020, Stack said. “I honestly don’t remember exactly where the request came from.”
Even though it is noted in the Swan Valley Regional Community Plan, Stack advised that the Public Works Department does not need a draft or finalized community plan to begin an investigation into a proposal for something such as the container site.
There was collaboration with community members and the Forest Service in selecting a site, Stack said. Barber Creek made the most sense because it already has power and it is close to a county-maintained road. Again, this is negotiable as the process for evaluation continues if other sites are brought to the Council’s attention.
Stack advised during the April meeting that the projected cost to create a Container Site with four bins to dump garbage is currently estimated at $612,000. The annual operating costs are projected at $230,000. Most of the operation costs are fees to Republic Services to haul the garbage to their Missoula site.
This estimate is based on operational costs at the Seeley Lake Refuse Site and based on the number of properties in the proposed district, Stack said. It is about a third of the cost to operate the Seeley Lake Site. There are 704 properties within the proposed Condon district, the boundaries match School District 33.
The estimated costs break down to an assessment of approximately $300 per property annually for disposal of 10 cubic yards of household waste in the Condon area. Similar to the Seeley Lake Refuse Site, there will be additional fees for out-of district users and other types of waste including yard debris, construction materials and appliances.
“We will adjust the cost based on revenue and operational costs as the site operates,” Stack said.
“I’m a little surprised but then I’m not at the resistance,” Koors said. “I think the resistance is the $300 number. However, that’s not set in stone.”
Koors suggested that one solution may be to get a working group together to figure out ways to lower the cost somewhat.
“I don’t think it can come down significantly,” Koors said.
Residents in the Condon area either haul garbage to the Seeley Lake Refuse District, 36 miles away or the Swan Site (Porcupine Site) 30 miles away in Lake County. The Seeley Lake Refuse District tax is currently $180 per year for 10 yards of household waste for in-District users. Out of district users and District residents in excess of the 10-yard limit are charged $4 for a 32-gallon bag of trash or $18 per cubic yard.
The Swan Site fee is a flat annual fee of $180 for all users, said Mark Nelson, Lake County Solid Waste Manager. The Swan Site is an established site, therefore no construction costs, Nelson said. Lake County reduced services to two days per week last year. Over the winter months, there were five to 10 visitors per day and 35-40 during the summer Nelson said.
Republic Services does provide refuse disposal service to the Condon area if the property is on a county-maintained road. Cost is $129.90 quarterly for a 96-gallon container or $164.90 for a bear resistant container plus a surcharge for transportation costs. The surcharge adds approximately $20 to the quarterly bill.
As of May 30, the Missoula County Voice website showed 123 total people have responded to the three questions presented.
1. Where do you dispose of garbage? 123 total respondents: 15% Seeley Lake, 30% Lake County and 54% Other.
2. Would You Support a Trash Disposal Site for the Condon Area? 93 total respondents: 81% No, 12% Yes and 8% Maybe.
3. Would you be willing to pay $300 per year for this trash disposal site: 103 total respondents 86% No, 9% Yes, 5% Maybe.
Even residents that support a Container Site feel the annual cost is high and needs further research. One comment on the Voice website, “We would support it more strongly if the site were to start with only two containers and consider expansion to grow as the need is identified to keep initial and future costs down and commensurate with the growth in the valley.”
Public comment in opposition to the site range from cost, no desire for additional taxation and location of the proposed site.
“I’m not interested in having our taxes increased when we already have means of garbage disposal,” said Chris Barnes, business owner and resident of Condon. Barnes also stated opposition to the site being in his backyard. Barnes said if you look at other sites such as the Swan Site in Lake County there are not nearby residents.
Council Member Marcia Tapp commented on the website stating, “I am against the transfer site in the pristine Swan Valley. No matter what guarantees are given, there is no way that it will not be an eyesore! Our beautiful valley has had enough stresses on it! If we humans are going to live in such a beautiful place, we have a responsibility to keep it beautiful!!”
This past week another commenter added, “It doesn’t make sense to centralize garbage disposal in such a decentralized valley.”
The comment period will run through mid-June. The decision to continue or end it will take place at the June 21 Council meeting at 6 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall. Stack will be present to answer questions and present information gathered from the website. To comment visit https://missoulacountyvoice.com and select the Condon Container Site.
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