John Roosa, Administrator, Boone County Landfill and Recycling, April 15, 2026

Today in our program we're taking time to visit with John Rosa landfill administrator recycling coordinator. Good morning. Yeah, how are you? I am Okay, let's go with the average yeah, I like it slightly above average for the legendary John Rosa Here we are. We do have free yardways coming up. That's one of the things obviously we're gonna talk about Yeah, that's it. We're out of that time of the season and But otherwise Things have been moving along pretty good one of the big things and you're gonna be talking about it today We touched on a little bit earlier that how you do the budget for the landfill It's yeah done separately that from the county budget because you're an enterprise fund and again You do have there's a per capita charge that goes out to entities and I'll pay so much for it The bottom line is the majority of the income is off of off of the gate. Yep Yep, the more garbage and more money, I guess. Yeah, well, there we go Not an inexpensive operation. We'll say that got a lot of guidelines to follow along. Yeah, so The big things that can that are coming up on your budget capital projects and again that final cell Keep saying that The the one of the others obviously is the forest main Bidding for that going on right now. Yeah, that's actually Slated for later today to have the bid opening this afternoon. I believe at two o'clock In the board of supervisors chambers anyway, that's where it'll take place Yeah, see fingers crossed hopefully we get some bids and hopefully get some good ones and we can keep things moving forward with that And then we'll have the next the last next and last cell temporary last I guess I'll say That'll come in two or three weeks First part of May is when that bid is coming through so a lot of stuff coming on to get planned out for the rest of this year So and I mean, you know the on the capital one obviously working with whks engineering So you get the bids in and I know there's different things that are going into this particular project So obviously they take a little time to review everything. Yeah, sure. Everybody's math is correct. Yeah, it's an important thing And then I know the other ones coming up, too I know the supervisors did inquire they raised the question Do you have any equipment things that you're looking at and you have a rotation the compactor is probably One of the more integral who pieces of equipment you have it is Yeah, and the big thing the quite this is the thing you said is well Is the question is do we go bigger for more compaction, but it costs a lot more too, right? But you have a rotation basically you take Your most your newer one make that your backup and got it because it's a lot of wear and tear Yeah, the current backup one's a little bit smaller We went bigger the last time we bought it in 2021 when we received it. So we rotate, you know, we tried to go five maybe six and then we're kind of like Do we dare go like seven years, you know get push it to the limit But you know, that's frightening to kind of do when you're dealing with a million dollar actually the bigger ones now are a million and a half dollars So 1.5 million dollar machine just to smash garbage You know, it's it's a big investment, but it's a critical one, too And when we did that last time, you know We were have been getting so much extra volume with the Ames and story County waste coming in So it was to me was a no-brainer to get the bigger compactor We could afford it and justify it by having more garbage to smash and you know We're going to be tapering off, but the question still comes into play is yeah, but we're gonna be tapering off our Garbage coming in the the tonnage annually daily everything will drop off in a year So should we go smaller? You know, probably get by with it That's kind of what we were doing prior before the massive increase. It seems like though back in the 2010s to 2020 time frame and so we probably could go smaller, but you know, you kind of go Well, if you can afford it Heavy is always bigger. I mean if you think about what probably the biggest thing to smash garbage would be weight Simple the compaction the compaction. I mean now you're now you're looking for space pres-preservation Yeah, basically airspace reservation. It always was critical, but it certainly is extra Critical and in the forefront of our minds As we go forward so you know really leaning toward it can can we justify it? What's the price difference you break that out over, you know If we buy a bigger one now and we wouldn't about the smaller one to be you know a couple two three hundred thousand dollars more Can you justify that over the next five six maybe seven years that you're going to use it? And I think we've been able to Extend the life of our compactor we're mixing in a backup every now and then a little more often previously The previous backup was not existent really Was not that dependable. Yeah, I had all and so now we have to you know You can utilize a smaller one when we needed to and so that saves some hours on the equipment Which is helpful and mix it up a little bit and So now it's you know We have that luxury and also the guys kind of went with a little bit different operation when we had days that we were slower When we were taking a hundred percent of Ames in story County We get less tonnage and it's easier to work with and in fact they wouldn't even fire up the Compactor until nine o'clock, you know, or maybe nine thirty ten kind depends on how much there was so let those smaller loads Come in and you know let them dump, but let's not run equipment. Let's just push it Compact until we get more quantity to work with and save some fuel and hours on the machine and life of it And just extending it so they've done a really good job with that in in adapting and taking advantage of that and You know to follow the same thing now we're at that should we do it now or should we wait? You know, there's a lot of it's always a double-edged sword. I guess where there's pros and cons to both You know, you wait too long and then suddenly it turns into a big money Suck out of the the budget to say I got to keep fixing these things We should have done this before or do you do it too soon and then we had a good machine and now this other one comes in You know, maybe it's just not the same. So there's That's it's kind of a what what do you do? Maybe flip a coin and hope for the best Well, one of those obviously with the budget you got a plan for it because you just don't pick these up off this shelf, right? It's a yeah, if budget gets approved and then whenever we're ready and we can say yeah, let's do this Let's you know, let's let's get one of those. Well, it's five or six months away So in planning that out to them when it actually comes and you know into the mix Could we buy it at the end of next fiscal year and then roll it into receiving it the you know into the next the following year So yeah, lots of things in play, but you know plan for but all sorts of things, you know I look at the numbers on our budget that we're proposing is Kind of a we're setting a record high on how much we're putting in this year because of the we got the cell We got the force main project and then rather large equipment potential purchase in there Throw out those big projects. Yeah, that's millions several million more. So yeah outspending money, I guess But that's all right. I mean we got to do it. We got to we got to get those things in place Well, they're going to be done one way or another We know that but and then you got your usual just operating expenses and Again certain things we've done because the so much goes into Recycling and and again you do that for space preservation as much as you can and it's not in it You know, we say well, it's free. We can dump it for free. No, someone's in the bottom bottom Yeah, the end of it like landfill. It's free. No, it's not someone's good. Someone's got to pay. Yeah That's right. Yeah, and the recycling. Yeah, it's it's not true It's not charged to people house that for residents. There we go and a lot of businesses too There's something it kind of depends on what it is what material it is But or what the item is but you know, yeah, it's no charge to them and we call it free yard waste days even coming up You know, which starts tomorrow The Thursday Friday and Saturdays of the next six weeks You know, it's it's free yard waste days and you've been so good about reminding folks that it's like it's not really free It's no charge to you. Let's see. I'll get the right terminology. I guess it's people can dump that stuff at no charge It's not freed us We do it to no charge to the public to the residents, but there is an expense on our end and It says well, if you can add it in there, you got there are things that you have you got to move it You got to turn it grind it move it around haul it, you know once it's done doing its thing and breaking down and we can use it in different spots for Seatings and cover and spots and certain requirements. I guess We're able to utilize it, but you know, it's rather pricey, you know That's kind of like the things well I used to say the one place that wanted your yard waste was the landfill, but back then a lot of work went into Turning that using it and being able to use it for cover But it is not the best cover in the world, but it is cover Yeah, so we were using it at the time once again now we're talking Preserve as much space as possible. Yeah, yeah, and it's you know, it ultimately goes in You know just all the cover any cover dirt that you're putting into it You can peel it back and you know reuse some of it But any of that goes that is hauled in and set on top of garbage is eating up airspace and whether it's you know Soil that's left on from the from the side itself or it's from the compost of the yard waste to be brought in You know, eventually it'll break down, but then once you encapsulate it it won't so it's going to eat up room and all that stuff So when you see the yard waste coming in, oh, that's great. They could put it to use. Well, yeah, it's being put to use But it's still going to eat up airspace. So there's there's always that and I'm guessing that probably it's to your methane issues Yes Yes And that we thought maybe would be a more of an opportunity but it does not seem to be developing very well, so it's a Again volume would be a dictator for that if we had a substantially higher by bigger bigger landfill and more volume That kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah, I can see Harvesting methane would be but you're at that you're kind of marginal right now. I just where you're at Yeah, it's not quite there and and so we're gonna go smaller So we're gonna get farther away from that opportunity smaller being I mean with less tonnage coming in less garbage with aims at Sorry, kind of going elsewhere. So yeah, it's now We're definitely at the point of let's less is so much better You could say well more would be better so you can get more methane and you can collect it and make some money You can do something good with it. Yeah, but if you're not going to get there and we're not going to then we need to do everything We can to not throw stuff away Unnecessarily recycle more in other words. There we go. We got a lot of alright Some of the other things that I did want to ask okay, let's go with the free yard waste or the yard waste We take yard waste at no charge to you Especially if you bring in it proper. Yeah There are certain things you can't be bringing in there. So that's right And I know some people will say well, I can sneak it in underneath everything else. No Someone's gonna see it. It'll get found. Yeah, eventually Unfortunately and again not a huge number most people do it very very well Cover the loads bring them out and get it to dump to get it disposed of to get it spread out for you Put it in areas and again, that's great Yeah, that's what we ask for that's right It's kind of like recycling too. You know the drop-off boxes. Yeah, most people do a great job with it There's but there's still the stuff that's shouldn't be in there though really dumb stuff, frankly But um, you know some is just the not unaware and you know, didn't know for sure I guess would say but uh, but it just takes those ones that don't do it right That really mess it up, you know, and those are the ones that stick in your mind because just recently I think it was over the weekend. There was a load that came in, you know We discovered it on monday in the yard waste area, but there's a bunch of branches on top But underneath was a whole bunch of boards A a loader bucket full, you know that someone dumped there hence, you know Those really stick in your mind because that's a burden upon us to then have to remove it because those do not get mixed together Because as you've mentioned two by fours don't grow on your trees. They did not grow in your yard They came from trees, but they did not physically grow. You didn't pick them. They didn't fall in your yard It it didn't happen that way. So, uh, yeah, those are challenges, um Those are frustrations if you will when the the yard waste area is not utilized appropriately Well, we hope people do that But we're again back to the thursday friday saturday going to do that to the end of may Yep, that's right starting tomorrow. Yep till the end of may. Uh-huh. Yeah thursday friday saturday That's a regular friday saturday you can still and i actually got from my hauler one of those things Uh, if you have yard waste to dispose of again We got different pickup times and we'll work with you on that again different haulers handle it separately Do different things, but you can just have your hauler take it too Obviously, they'll charge you a little extra for it, but uh the service to pick it. Yeah, they're not being charged at the gate You know, they can bring that in during those free times as well. So, um, Yeah, you know utilize that I don't I'm not sure I live out of town. I don't have that opportunity, but um, Know what the haulers are doing I guess and ask if they're able to help you out with that is certainly another option for you They don't think so if you if you haven't gotten notes from them or anything like that or any kind of message Call them find out what they'll do and what it'll cost you if you want to have them take it out there for you Because some people can some people don't have it, but The other big one covering that now. Yes Still cover them even it's free. It doesn't matter if we're not charging it no matter what comes out to the landfill needs to be secured so You know people will call and say what about if I just bring a bunch of limbs? Do I have to tarp it? No, but you have to secure all the limbs. You got a time down, you know You still got to get them all and it's like kind of like um An appliance people will bring an appliance to us and we have an appliance recycling area and that's all well and good Um, you know, do I have to tarp it? No, but you have to you have to secure it How do you secure it put a strap over the top of it? Yeah, don't want to see that thing sliding out of the back And you don't get to say oh, it's fine. It won't fall out. You know, I our policy as from the supervisors down to say All loads must be secured. We're trying to keep the county clean It's already, you know All the waste coming from Ames and story county coming in there's a lot of garbage out there on a long 30 and and elsewhere But it's one thing that we can control when it's coming to our places All loads must be secured and you know, we've been doing it long enough We've been giving out warnings for I don't know decades It was and then we finally took a hard line and said you will be fine And it's into the second year of it now and I think, you know, it's getting out there. It's on our website It's it's it takes a little time But you you finally get the point across to be yeah, you have to do it And occasionally you have some people that just have not been out before and they just Okay, and they come along and because I can remember people that would bring you a backyard waste outdoor Bag looms and stuff and you'd see the bags laying across long Montana. You know stuff like that Which did lead to the heaven it covered. Yep, you know bottom line. That's right. That was few decades ago That was a big issue. Yes. Uh, so again still out there still one of those things you have to deal with And again the recycling part and everything else. So now let's talk about the other one, which is of course We have earth day coming up. So this is a good time if you want to Maybe find out more about keep boon county beautiful There are things you can do to help clean up those ditches. Yep, there's still Roads to be adopted out there that you can clean up To keep our county beautiful keep our keep Iowa beautiful keep boon county beautiful All that rolled together. Um, there's roads to adopt Things you can do, you know, and if you're just if a lot of times it's more like the awareness of Earth day just around you and where have you cleaned up? Maybe it's even your own property and then you come upon those things that You discovered that you put away down the basement, you know old household chemicals and fertilizers and whatever else You're like, you know, it's time to get rid of this. Don't just dump it. Don't dump it down your drains Don't throw it away in your yard Do the right thing and get ahold of us because we provide this service to our residents in boon county In our entire service area over in the green county as well At no charge. So you can bring us those chemicals fertilizers oil based paints paint thinner old gas, you know, you mixed up something from you know 2015 and you had an old gas sitting there. It's kind of you're not really sure what it is what what kind of mix it is You know, is it 20 to on 50 to one? Well, what what is it? What color is it? I don't know. Is it gas? Well, if it's flammable, you know You've been there, haven't you jib you laugh? I'm sitting there thinking I'm thinking I've got to do another round of checking what paint cans have been where for how long You know that kind of thing and if they've been out out like in the garage, which is not heated or anything Did they freeze? Yeah, and then okay latex. I'm drying it out Get it right away. Yep. Yep Others there's a few other things I would have to ask about yeah some of the enamels and things Sure, and you know call ask questions. Um, if you're unsure if you you know, utilize those Saturday collection events that we're doing for the household hazardous waste as well Utilize those if you're going to load everything up in this and hope for the best Just know you may get rejected if if some things don't qualify like latex paint if it's other, you know Simple cleaners or something that nothing's toxic nothing's acidic and you know a problem I guess then it could be just regular garbage. You may get those things back But um call and ask we'll guide you in the best possible way if we can take it we certainly will Um, and if we don't we'll try to get an answer for you as well. I think an easy way is uh Clean up with water soap and water Latex, yep, let it dry out. Yeah dispose of it anything else that requires mineral spirits Turpentine anything like that thinners anything like that says yep, then it's oil based. Yeah, that's how I look at it When they bring out, you know, the paints look on the front and it doesn't always say latex or doesn't say oil It just says enamel or it says Acrylic, you know, there's mixtures out there that doesn't necessarily qualify that in an enamel is oil or vice versa acrylic being Whatever might be Um, I look at the cleanup method as you're talking about of how you know one of the things that you and you've you strut that stressed it in the past too is if you have something that you know Pesticides or herbicides And you haven't used it all up try to use it all up spring if you can yeah before you bring it Right put it to use instead of you know, if you bring it to us what will happen to it? Well, it's going to sit in our building our household hazardous waste collection satellite facility that we we utilize and help out for and working with a metro waste authority and um So we would click take your things we put in our building and then when we get a full building full of fall All the barrels are full They'll metro will come up and they'll take all the barrels away. What happens then will they take it to Des Moines? What happens then, you know, we're not just sitting on it It actually goes somewhere to get incinerated and as far as I understand it's in another state somewhere It's going to get incinerated burnt at a high enough that it's not toxic So, you know, basically wasted, you know, instead of utilizing it, um, you know, you're like, well, it's just not enough to make anything How about try, you know, let's put it to use and I'm not saying well Just dump it in the ground, you know, but put it to its actual use and don't just um, you know Dump the stuff directly into the water or into the soil because that'll get into our waterways And we don't want that but put it into where it's supposed to be utilized It's always better to do that As needed and and able If all right, we do have uh, once again, we've mentioned the yard waste days Starting on thursday it's every thursday friday saturday The next household hazardous waste drop off is saturday morning the second of may may second Yep, we'll have at the landfill at the landfill and once again use the second entrance Don't you don't have to come in over the scale and stuff but now the yard waste time too So that's the second entrance for yard waste follow the second entrance And for those that have some recycling, they could also come out that way too sure again Yeah, but make sure it is recycling not contaminated It has to go to the right spot There and there may be other areas for you to go and yeah, we'll get you to the right spot John rosa landfill administrator recycling coordinator our guest on our program today. Thanks so much for joining us And uh, we'll let you hobble on your way Again, that's our program for you this morning on kwbg