County procures land for new Laclede dump site

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

A long-awaited replacement for the solid waste refuse site on Wrenco Loop is officially in the works, as Bonner County commissioners on Jan. 12 unanimously approved the procurement of land in Laclede meant to host a new fully functional and manned dump for residents along Highway 2 between Sandpoint and Priest River.

In June 2019, the announcement that the Wrenco dump would be closed caused controversy among those who frequented the site, as residents claimed that they were not given adequate notice of the closure. Due to public outcry, county officials resolved to keep the site open until they could create a new dump in the area.

Solid Waste Director Bob Howard called the Wrenco site a “nuisance” back in 2019, due to the fact that the unattended site was often abused — people dumped too much, and abandoned unlawful items in the dumpsters. Bonner County was paying an additional $12,000 annually to manage the site, on top of regular garbage hauling costs.

Howard told the Sandpoint Reader in a Jan. 12 email that the new Laclede site “will replace Wrenco and it will be staffed with a site attendant.” He said the new dump will “use the same footprint as the Upland site” and be accessed from North Riley Creek Road near the Laclede Community Church.