Shawnee County to consider privatizing solid waste department

The Shawnee County Commission will consider taking a step Monday toward potentially privatizing the county’s solid waste department.

County commissioners plan to consider a proposal sponsored by Archer through which they would appoint Curt Niehaus, director of the county’s public works and solid waste departments, to the county’s solid waste management committee to replace Justin Pike, who was deputy director of the solid waste department until he left county employment Jan. 24.

The proposal would also direct the county’s solid waste management committee to review the county’s solid waste management plan and provide commissioners with recommendations about the feasibility of arranging with private entities to provide the services the solid waste department currently provides.