Twice a week, trucks carrying waste from three neighboring counties pass through the gate at the Hillcrest landfill. County officials have said for two decades that the site is "at capacity" and will close "imminently."
Permit documents filed with the state tell a different story. The site's operating permit was amended four times in the last decade, each time expanding the disposal area. The most recent amendment, approved last spring, extends operations through 2038.
Residents of the surrounding neighborhood — a majority of them renters — were not notified of the amendments. State law requires notice by mail to property owners. Most people here don't own the land they live on.
The county commission will vote on a fifth amendment next month. The meeting is at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday.