Cascade County Commissioners will consider purchasing the Stockett dump site during their Oct. 14 meeting.

The site, at 15 Cottonwood Coulee Road, was leased by the county with an approaching expiration date and a death in the land owner’s family, so the county approached the property owner’s family with an interest in purchasing or a long-term lease.

County obtaining appraisal for possible purchase of Stockett transfer site

It continues an effort by county officials to develop long-term stability for the county’s solid waste program, particularly after a lease dispute shut down the Belt dump site in December 2024, and align fees with operations.

In August, county commissioners approved a contract with Market Research Group to provide a fair market appraisal for teh 1.55-acre property.

The company determined they couldn’t complete such an appraisal since “there have been no suitable land sales available to compare with,” and did not charge the county the $800 fee.

County approves updated solid waste fee structure, rate increases

The company suggested using Montana Department of Revenue tax values to set pricing on the property.

The DOR values were:

• 2023: $53,370
• 2024: $53,370
• 2025: $63,475

The property is owned by the Klasner family, which agreed to sell the property to the county for this year’s value of $63,475.