SANDPOINT — Bonner County is curtailing the days of operations at the 11 Mile waste collection site as it plans to close the facility on Highway 57 north of Priest River.

The effective date of the closure is set for New Year’s Day 2019. In the meantime, the site’s days of operations will reduce from seven days a week to four days week starting on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The site will keep its customary hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Solid waste officials said they are closing the site because it is located on U.S. Forest Service property and lacks commercial power service, which they contend creates “a multitude of safety and liability concerns.”

Those who rely on the 11 Mile site will be directed to the Dickensheet collection site at 1978 Dickensheet Road in Coolin, the Prater Valley Site at 100 Stations Way in rural Priest River or the Idaho Hill collection site off Highway 41 in Oldtown.

Plans to close the site went over like a lead zeppelin on social media. Those who oppose its closure contend the site is a convenient facility for the community, in addition to those who depart the lake.

In response to the social media backlash, Commissioner Dan McDonald explained that the county uses electric heat to warm the attendant stations and portable toilets at other county waste collection stations. However, without power at 11 Mile, propane heat was used, which sickened an employee with carbon monoxide poisoning last winter. McDonald added that open flames and portable toilets are a potentially hazardous combination.

“We have also had issue with slip and falls without the proper lighting during the winter at that and one other location specifically,” McDonald said on Facebook.

Solid Waste put out a follow-up statement on Thursday further clarifying its rationale for scaling back days of operation and eventually closing the 11 Mile site. The department notes that there are two full-service collection sites located within 10 miles of 11 Mile.

Operation costs at 11 Mile are also higher due to the absence of utilities and county officials say curtailing the days of operations will save taxpayers money. Moreover, there will be a two-person reduction in staffing via attrition, which will also result in significant cost savings.

County commissioners are scheduled to take up a resolution during its regular business meeting on Tuesday at the Bonner County Administration Building. The business meeting begins at 9 a.m.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.