SANDPOINT — The days of Bonner County’s 11 Mile waste collection site north of Priest River are numbered.

Bonner County commissioners unanimously agreed on Tuesday to scale back the household waste collection site’s days of operation in advance of closing the facility on New Year’s Day. The closure was cast as temporary during the commission’s meeting, but it was clear the county is unlikely to ever reopen it at its present location because it’s located on U.S. Forest Service property that lacks utilities.

“It has no commercial electrical power,” Bonner County Solid Waste Director Bob Howard told commissioners, explaining that battery-powered LED lighting and propane heaters are used to illuminate and warm the attendant’s station, which presents safety issues.

An employee suffered carbon monoxide poisoning due to exposure to the propane heater and the lack of adequate overhead lighting at the site presented a slip-and-fall danger for employees and site users.

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., although its days of operation will be limited to Friday through Monday.

The county plans to form a citizen’s advisory committee to help determine where a new site could be developed, although commissioners essentially ruled out that a new site would emerge at the present location due to its location on federal lands. Commissioners also balked at using county taxpayer funds to improve the site by installing an electrical hookup.

“The cost was not beneficial to Bonner County,” commission Chairman Glen Bailey added.

Local residents who use the facility are objecting to its eventual closure.

“If we eliminate that site, we’re going to make it rough on a lot of people,” said resident Jack Davis.

Commissioner Dan McDonald disagreed by pointing out that Priest Lake is already well-served by the Dickensheet and Prater Valley collection sites.

“We don’t look at isolated areas. We look at the county as a whole,” said McDonald, noting that other residents don’t have as quick of an access to collection sites.

Commissioner Jeff Connolly said factual data will be used to locate a new waste collection site.

“Going forward, this is a prudent move,” Connolly said.

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