Williamsburg City Council objects to Iowa County Landfill’s proposed ordinance

WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg City Council objected Monday to a county ordinance proposed by the Iowa County Landfill board which would impose civil penalties on cities, haulers and individuals who don’t dispose of all of their Iowa County waste at the Iowa County Landfill.

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Councilman Tyler Marshall, who is the Williamsburg’s representative on the landfill board, provided a draft of the ordinance and explained what the city might need to do if the ordinance is approved by Iowa County Supervisors.

The flow control ordinance would allow the Regional Environmental Improvement Commission of Iowa County, the public non-profit organization that governs the landfill, to require, at any time, any or all sold waste haulers covered by the ordinance to submit reports detailing the amounts of solid waste they collect and the facilities to which the materials were delivered.

Any person, hauler, company or property owner who is found to have taken waste outside the county could face a civil penalty of $500 for each single violation or failure or omission, $750 for a second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.

The proposed ordinance would allow REIC to seek an injunction from the court against “serious” and “repeated” violators.

REIC plans to modify the 28E agreement it has with Williamsburg and other cities in the county to conform to the ordinance, Marshall said.

“It will grant them power to actually enforce that all solid waste generated in the county goes to the Iowa County Landfill,” said Marshall.

“We need to talk to ABC and make sure that all of the city dumpsters go to the Iowa County Landfill,” said Marshall, though he admitted, “I don’t know exactly how the board is going to enforce all of this.”

REIC and Williamsburg have been arguing about trash since early 2024. The landfill board has complained that ABC Disposal Systems is not taking all of Williamsburg’s trash to the Iowa County Landfill as is required by a 28E agreement signed by the city.

ABC Disposal Systems told the Williamsburg City Council in April 2024 that it takes 99% of the waste it collects in Williamsburg to the Iowa County landfill.

What doesn’t go to the Iowa County landfill goes to a transfer station and is taken to Illinois, said ABC co-owner Chad Carter. That amounts to about 20 tons — about $40 — a week.

Carter said that the trash route starts in Iowa City, moves through Williamsburg and heads back through Johnson County, so some Williamsburg waste leaves Iowa County.

Altering the route so that all of Williamsburg’s solid waste goes to the Iowa County landfill would increase the time it takes to run the route, and that would increase ABC’s cost, said Carter.

ABC agreed to weigh its trash, and Williamsburg has been paying Iowa County Landfill for trash that is being taken to the transfer station.

REIC first proposed a county ordinance to the County Board of Supervisors in May of 2025.

“This ordinance is not a witch hunt or meant to go after anyone,” said Commission member Garret Dozark during that meeting. REIC wants something in writing so that it can do something about persistent violators.

“We did come to the landfill commission … and we tried to hash this out,” said Williamsburg City Manager Aaron Sandersfeld during the May meeting. The only trash generated in Williamsburg that is not going to Iowa County landfill, is trash collected from city dumpsters by ABC on Wednesdays, he said.

“We agreed to weigh that garbage, and we agreed to pay for that garbage even though it’s not going to the landfill,” Sandersfeld said. “We’re paying for garbage that’s not going there,” he said.

REIC also has reports of Johnson Co. Refuse putting dumpsters in Iowa County for a housing development near the county line, Dozark said. That waste does not go to the Iowa County Landfill, he said.

Iowa County Attorney Tim McMeen had concerns in May about the ordinance presented at that time. “It’s applicable not only to haulers. Its applicable to every person in this county right now.” McMeen said.

The ordinance presented to the Williamsburg City Council Monday retains that language.

City Councilman Jake Tornholm wasn’t happy about the proposed ordinance. “You can’t tell me I have to take my trash to Iowa County,” he said Monday.

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City Attorney Eric Tindal questioned whether the ordinance aligns with the state constitution. He’s concerned about why the ordinance is being proposed, he said.

“There’s a perception that a lot of trash generated in the county is going outside the County,” Marshall explained.

Dozark said in May that REIC needs money to build a new cell at the landfill and, therefore, needs to control the waste that is generated in Iowa County.

The proposed ordinance will prohibit people choosing a cheaper option, Tindal said Monday.

If people take their trash to disposal sites that charge less, it might bankrupt the landfill, Marshall said. “There’s perception, or a concern that … people or companies are taking their waste elsewhere.”

Williamsburg has argued in the past that not allowing ABC to take trash to a transfer station which disposes of it in Illinois violates interstate commerce laws. The REIC board doesn’t believe the proposed ordinance violates those laws, Marshall said.

Supervisors haven’t passed the ordinance, said Sandersfeld, and the supervisor on the landfill board won’t vote for it, he said.

Supervisor Abby Maas, who sits on the REIC board, was critical of a previous flow control ordinance when it was presented to the county board in May.

Sandersfeld suggested that if council members don’t want the county to pass the ordinance, they should “call the supervisors and tell them you don’t like it.”

“I question the legality of it,” said Tornholm.

The council discussed the option not to renew its 28E agreement with the landfill.

If Williamsburg doesn’t sign the 28E agreement, the landfill can refuse to take waste from Williamsburg, Marshall said.

Download: 9. Draft 28E.pdf