CASCADE COUNTY — Cascade County commissioners are reconsidering the long-term future of trash disposal in Belt, voting this week to move forward with an appraisal of the former Belt-Armington solid waste site.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
The appraisal is a required legal step before the county can consider purchasing the property. While the vote does not commit the county to buying the land, commissioners say it will help determine whether ownership could be a more practical and cost-effective option than continuing to rely on a leased site.
For years, residents in the Belt-Armington area used a county dumpsite located on land leased by the county. In 2024, negotiations with the landowner fell through, and Cascade County lost access to the property.
In March of 2025, the county signed a 20-year lease for land located next to the original site. That move restored solid waste services for rural residents with minimal disruption.
While the leased site remains operational, commissioners say it lacks some of the infrastructure needed for long-term use. Containers at the current location sit at ground level, requiring additional handling, compared to the former site, which was already built for drive-up disposal.
“The old site has all the infrastructure there still for a complete solid waste site,” said Commission Chairman Jim Larson. “The site we are leasing doesn’t have all that for ease of delivery.”
On January 13, commissioners voted to authorize an appraisal of the original property, a step required by state law before the county can make an offer to purchase the land.
County leaders say they are now weighing two options: investing in new infrastructure at the leased site or buying land that already has much of the necessary infrastructure in place.
“It really comes down to finances,” Larson said. “Can we build a new site on land that we don’t own, or is it cheaper to buy the land that already has the infrastructure on it?”
Larson added that owning the property could provide greater long-term stability for the county, reducing the risk of future lease issues and allowing officials to make permanent improvements without uncertainty. Purchasing an already developed site could also allow the county to resume full operations more quickly, compared to the time required to design and build new infrastructure.
“If we buy a site that’s already built, we could go into business immediately,” Larson said. “If we have to build, that’s going to take some time.”
Commissioners say the appraisal results will help guide the county’s next steps. In the meantime, the currently leased Belt-Armington dumpsite will continue operating as normal while officials evaluate their options.
