County considers changes to recycling program, approves Colvill fire truck loan

Cook County is stepping back from a proposal to hire a consultant to review its recycling operations and will instead begin by asking residents, businesses, and organizations what they want from recycling services in the county.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Neva Maxwell presented the initial proposal to the county commissioners during the Aug. 18 committee of the whole meeting. The proposal included hiring consulting firm Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company to examine the Cook County recycling program, identify potential operational efficiencies, and help determine how the county should move forward. The proposed cost for the review was $19,500, with an optional cost-of-service analysis for $6,000.

Following that discussion, county officials met with Dustin Hanson, co-owner of North Shore Waste, and decided to take a different approach, starting with a community survey.

This week, during the Sept. 22 board of commissioners’ meeting, Maxwell updated the commissioners and said it was decided that it “May be good to try to step back for a moment and collect some community engagement.”

She said the county will instead “Take this opportunity to get some feedback from folks and see if there’s something from a recycling program in Cook County that people would like to see different.”

Maxwell presented a draft survey that outlined several questions to gather public feedback on priorities, needs, and potential gaps in Cook County’s recycling services.

The draft survey asks residents and businesses about where and how they currently recycle, how easy or difficult recycling is, thoughts about the single-sort system, and whether they would use residential or business recycling pickup if it were available, and whether they would be willing to pay for such a service, among other questions.

During Tuesday’s meeting, several of the county commissioners provided feedback and recommended a few additions to the list of questions.

County Administrator Kristen Trebil-Halbersma told WTIP that once the survey is finalized, it will be released to the public in the coming weeks so the county can begin soliciting input “on what the future of recycling will look like in Cook County.”

Trebil-Halbersma said the goal is to understand the community’s priorities as the county considers the future of recycling services in Cook County.

“So really making sure that at the very beginning of this effort, that we gather information from the community on recycling and what their hopes are as we move forward with this effort,” she said.

The review of recycling services comes as Cook County and North Shore Waste have undergone transitions within the county’s waste management system in the past couple of years.

The new Grand Marais Transfer Station opened this summer after an approximately $8 million construction project aimed at improving efficiency and creating a more environmentally friendly waste management process. The facility is part of a broader project that included improvements at the Tofte Transfer Station and a new transfer station in Hovland.

Loan to the Colvill Fire Department

During the Sept. 22 meeting, the county board of commissioners unanimously approved a loan not to exceed $100,000 to the Colvill Fire Department to purchase a fire truck.

The truck is a 26-foot 2015 Freightliner with a 2000 gallon stainless steel tank. The truck costs $94,900.

The county has in the past provided loans to several local fire departments to purchase equipment or fire trucks, or to construct a fire hall.

Cook County Treasurer/Auditor Braidy Powers said on Tuesday that the county’s balance for outstanding loans to fire departments is currently $851,000. The balance is driven primarily by two more recently board-approved loans. In May, the board of commissioners approved a $204,000 loan to the Lutsen Fire Department and Lutsen Township for a new rescue truck. In recent years, the board of commissioners has also approved a loan to the Hovland Fire Department. Powers said the Hovland Fire Department loan balance is roughly $500,000.

Kalli Hawkins September 25, 2026