CRESWELL – The Creswell City Council is edging toward a break with Lane County over solid waste fees, signaling interest in leaving an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that councilors fear could drive up garbage rates for residents.
City Manager Vincent Martorello, at a January work session, outlined the stakes of the county’s “system benefit fee” and its interaction with Creswell’s contract hauler, Sanipac.
Sanipac had been hauling Creswell’s garbage to Dry Creek in Medford to save money, but after learning of the IGA and Lane County’s authority under its code, the company shifted back to Short Mountain Landfill, just outside of Creswell.
Creswell produces roughly 2,500 tons of waste per year. Lane County’s Short Mountain landfill currently charges just over $112 per ton to accept that garbage, while Sanipac’s own Dry Creek facility near Medford charges about $97 per ton.
“We’ve been absorbing the extra cost of hauling to Short Mountain,” Sanipac representative and Creswell resident Aaron Donley told the council, “but if Creswell stays in the IGA, those costs become significant enough that we’d probably have to come forward and ask for a rate adjustment.”
At the center of the debate is whether Creswell should remain in the countywide framework – which Lane County says helps support 15 transfer stations and other solid waste programs – or step outside it to protect local ratepayers from future increases.
During the meeting, Lane County’s policy director, Steve Adams, asked for the opportunity to present a fuller financial picture at a future work session. He stressed that the system benefit fee itself funds the broader solid waste system – transfer stations, household hazardous waste, and related services – while the separate disposal fee at Short Mountain is the primary funding mechanism for the planned Clean Lane/IMRF facility.
County officials have warned that if cities like Creswell leave the IGA and system benefit fee revenues decline, Lane County may need to consider options such as reduced hours or other changes at transfer stations, potentially including Creswell’s.
That possibility drew concern from councilor Joan Morris, who noted that many residents rely on the local transfer station.
“You mentioned we may take away the transfer station. I’m a Sanipac customer, but I know a lot of people who use the transfer station, so that’s going to affect residents in Creswell. That’s a concern,” Morris said.
Others, however, were more focused on direct costs to households and questioned the county’s financial decisions around the Clean Lane project and past rate hikes.
“I can’t make a decision like this without knowing one thing – how it’s going to affect the bottom line for Creswell customers,” said Alonzo Costilla, council president.
Martorello said his focus is squarely on Creswell residents’ bills.
“My recommendation is that you control what you can to the benefit of Creswell – especially when it comes to what our residents pay in fees,” he said. He noted that staying in the IGA almost certainly means higher costs in the years ahead. “We know the rates will go up if we stay in the IGA; the question is by how much, and what that looks like as an annual cost to Creswell customers.”
While no formal vote was taken, councilors gave the city manager a “head nod” to move forward as if Creswell is leaning toward leaving the IGA.
Martorello will now work with both Lane County and Sanipac to develop side‑by‑side cost projections showing what staying in or exiting the agreement would mean for residential garbage bills, and to schedule a dedicated work session where each side can present its numbers before the council makes a final decision.
