By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The cost to operate a facility rarely gets cheaper. In April, the Barton County Commission approved several rate changes at the Barton County Landfill. Tuesday morning, Solid Waste Director Jennifer Hamby returned before the board to approve rate increases that would take effect on Aug. 1.
“From time to time, landfill management reviews rates to determine if the cost of disposal is adequate to cover operational and closing costs,” she said. “In April 2026, the commission approved an increase to certain fees, effective July 1, 2026. At this time, the commission will consider an update to the fees.”
In April, the commission approved rate changes to landfill tipping fees, passenger car and light truck tire fees, and construction and demolition fees. But Tuesday morning, Commissioner Tricia Schlessiger suggested hitting the pause button before making additional changes.
“We talked about increasing the rates,” she said. “We thought we’d given adequate time, but we got some feedback that some of our trash haulers needed additional time to plan for a rate increase. I think we thought it wasn’t a huge rate increase, but it must have impacted several of them negatively.”
Schlessinger and Commission Chair Duane Reif agreed it might be helpful to push back the decision. Commissioner Barb Esfeld agreed.
“We talked it over, and I don’t think we had thought about haulers or different places that had contracts that were locked into certain rates,” said Esfeld. “Maybe that was an oversight on our part, but I do think we have to look at increasing rates because, as Jennifer knows, equipment is very expensive, and to operate out there is extremely expensive. Maybe we can just give more time and look at it again.”
Tuesday’s motion to amend the rates, effective Aug. 1, 2026, passed 4-0 with instruction to Hamby to notify local contractors of the rate change.