Landfill Hearing: Day 1 recording and recap; what to expect on Day 2
Day 1 recap
The Public Hearing on LU-24-027, Republic Services’ application for the proposed expansion of the Coffin Butte Landfill, began on Tuesday, April 29. Benton County Planning Commission Chair Nicholas Fowler started the meeting at 6 p.m. The County’s Planning Division presented the staff report. Planning Commission members asked many follow-up questions that were addressed by the County’s Planning Official, consultants and representatives from Republic Services. The Hearing was recessed around 8:45 p.m.
Day 2 expectations
Presentation and discussion of the staff report on Day 1 took more time than projected. Republic Services’ presentation, planned for the first meeting, will take place when the hearing resumes at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. The Planning Commission will then move on to public verbal testimony if time permits.
If the applicant presentation and subsequent discussion fills the scheduled meeting time, public testimony will likely begin on Tuesday, May 6.
The hearing is open to the public in the Holmes & Shipley Meeting Room on the first floor of the County’s Kalapuya Building at 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis, OR. The room has a posted capacity of 133 people, although fewer can be accommodated during the staff and applicant presentation portion of the hearing while tables are in place for the presenters. A viewing/listening room is available on the second floor of the Kalapuya building. An additional overflow space, not utilized on Day 1, will be opened on the first floor.
Attendees who need any physical or language accommodations should notify Benton County Community Development (permitcheck@bentoncountyor.gov) at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing.
The hearing can also be viewed through Zoom.
Verbal and written testimony
A new batch of compiled written testimony was posted to Munidocs on April 29. This includes comments received through noon on April 28.
Written testimony is still being accepted in four ways: online form, regular mail, email (publiccomment@bentoncountyor.gov) and hand delivery. Details are available on the Coffin Butte Landfill webpage.
Members of the public can sign up to share verbal testimony during the hearing. Names will be added to the verbal testimony roster in the order in which they are submitted, either through the webform or in person at the public hearings. A testimony sign-up table is available in the lobby beginning one hour prior to meeting start times. Verbal testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per person.
Registration for verbal testimony will be open as long as the Public Hearing is in session or until 6 p.m. on May 6, whichever comes first.