(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday approved a proposal from the landfill commission to establish a compost site next to a gravel pit on the east side of Milford. It was one of two sites the commission was recommending. The other was just west of Milford next to the Catholic cemetary. The D-N-R has said either site is suitable for a compost operation.
Arnolds Park City Administrator Ron Walker, who also serves on the landfill commission, says it’s crucial to get the site up and running soon since several Dickinson county municipalities have had their existing green waste dump sites shut down by the D-N-R.
Walker says the compost that’s generated at the facility will be given away free to area gardners atleast at the start. He says they could decide to charge for the compost if the demand is great later on.
Walker says the Dickinson County Conservation Board will fund the 58-thousand dollar one-time start-up cost of the facility, which will be fenced and gated. The site will be open to the general public two to three days a week, with an operator present to make sure no garbage or other items get dumped there.
Walker says they hope to have the facility ready for operation by this spring.
The supervisors directed the County Engineer to work with the landfill commission and conservation board on designing the compost site so it won’t interfere with operations at the neighboring gravel pit.
