Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved a transition away from paper stickers to a card-based verification system for solid waste disposal, streamlining fee confirmation and customer service at the county’s disposal sites.
On July 14, the board signed off on a motion from the solid waste department to add a voucher system module to its point-of-sale infrastructure. The new system will allow staff to verify whether residents have paid their solid waste fees through property taxes and manage access cards more effectively than the current sticker method permits.
How the New System Works
Under the card-based approach, eligible customers—those who have paid their solid waste fees via property taxes—can dispose of up to 3 cubic yards of household waste at no charge. Residents who do not qualify for the fee waiver will be charged applicable disposal fees at the gate.
A key advantage of the card system is operational flexibility. Site attendants will be able to deactivate lost or stolen cards and issue replacements, capabilities that were not possible under the sticker program. Melissa Gault, the solid waste department’s operations manager, noted that “the cards will enable site attendants to quickly verify whether customers pay the Solid Waste fee through their property taxes, allowing eligible customers to dispose of up to 3 cubic yards of household waste at no charge.”
Implementation Costs
The county will incur a one-time installation cost of $93,700 for the module, which includes hosting infrastructure, access cards, a card programmer, programming services, and labeling. Annual subscription fees will run $1,920, with costs covering annual data conversion for new residents entering the system.
The solid waste department framed the investment as a customer service improvement over the current sticker-based approach, which lacks the ability to track or replace lost credentials and requires manual verification at each visit.
The shift reflects broader county efforts to modernize administrative systems. Sandpoint recently paused a paid parking rollout after adjusting related ordinances, and the city has approved development projects requiring updated infrastructure planning, suggesting the region is actively evaluating how to streamline resident access to public services.
The unanimous approval indicates county leadership sees the card system as a straightforward operational upgrade with clear benefits for both staff efficiency and customer convenience. Implementation timeline details were not disclosed by the commissioners.