Henry County Rural Residential Solid Waste & Recycle Collection Site adds signage

MT. PLEASANT — At last week’s meeting, WEMIGA Waste director Lynn Whaley provided Henry County Supervisors with updates from the county landfill including signage improvements, access rules, tonnage updates, and maintenance concerns.

Whaley’s Sept. 18 update to the board pointed to recent upgrades at the landfill, including crews repainting the barriers after sandblasting them and then reinstalling the improved markers. Additionally, WEMIGA added new signage that spells out which townships can use the facility. Whaley said the changes should help clear up confusion for residents about where they can legally drop off waste.

The landfill accepts household trash and recyclables only from residents of rural Henry County, not city residents. Proof of rural residency is required at drop-off. Hours run Tuesday—Thursday from 12—6 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. — 6 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. — noon The site closes on New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bulk cleanup collections take place the first Friday and Saturday of April and October each year. Whaley shared that these bulk cleanup dates generally result in an expected influx.

Whaley also reported on landfill tonnage. “If you look at what we kind of average for landfill tonnages, we’re probably going to be around that 645-ton range,” he said. “We’ll be very close to what we’ve seen the last two years.”

In addition to tonnage updates, Whaley thanked county crews for responding quickly to maintenance needs. After he raised concerns about potholes in the landfill parking lot at the last supervisors’ meeting, road crews repaired the lot within a week. “It made it much nicer for the public and just going in and out of there,” Whaley said.

Not all the updates were cosmetic. Whaley reported that staff discovered soft spots near the office entryway in August and removed tile to find rotted subflooring underneath. Crews replaced the damaged section this week, but Whaley said he worries about long-term durability. Supervisor Chad White suggested installing moisture-resistant concrete board if conditions allow. “We’ve never fixed the actual floor deck itself, just the flooring,” he said. “If it’s that pressed sawdust stuff, it starts bloating.” Supervisors discussed the idea and agreed to evaluate it further once crews finish exposing the underlying joists.

Whaley also updated supervisors on the landfill’s electronic waste program, which sends collected computer equipment to Iowa City. He said participation surged when the program began but has since leveled off. Even so, he described it as “working out good” and confirmed the county included it in the most recent recycling contracts.

Supervisors noted the improvements and asked follow-up questions about coordination with county recycling efforts. Whaley said his team continues to work closely with county staff and vendors to keep operations consistent. As 2025 enters its final quarter, he said the landfill’s steady numbers give confidence in both budgeting and operations.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com