Letter to the Editor
Author: JB Howick, Townsend City Council, Ward 1
Article Published: 06/19/2026 Volume: 4 Edition: 50 Letter to the Editor On Monday, June 8th, a County Commissioners' meeting was held that almost exclusively focused on solid waste and county road maintenance. During that meeting, an idea was presented about which I shared some comments. It was a lengthy meeting and reporter Nancy Marks did a great job of covering a complex discussion, but I believe it would be prudent to clarify the comments I made.
The Indian Creek Road solid waste transfer station is aging. That's no surprise; many of the buildings and facilities in Broadwater County are aging. Good administration always asks two questions when it comes to aging facilities: is it cheaper to repair it or replace it? That's a very simple question that encompasses a very complex discussion and the portion of June 8th's meeting taken up by this discussion was very, very small. But it's an idea that I believe is worth thinking about.
Today, all trash must be hauled to the Indian Creek transfer station. All of it, no matter where it comes from. If we assume a common point at the intersection of Highway 287 and Indian Creek Road, it means (and I'm simplifying a little bit) that every truck (and every County resident who hasn't easy access to a trash truck or trash site) must make the approximately six-mile round trip to the transfer station. At today's fuel prices, it adds up to a lot. So what Broadwater County Public Works Director TJ Graveley mentioned during the meeting was the idea of moving the bulk of the transfer station's operations to the North Cedar Street trash location.
Please keep in mind, this idea is years of discussion away from serious consideration — but it's an interesting idea. From the City's perspective, our own trucks would save a great deal of fuel (and wear-and-tear!) if they only had to go someplace like North Cedar Street. Said another way, if the cost of moving the transfer station is less than the cost of repairing the transfer station (which has not been determined!), then a lot of your public funds would be saved in the day-to-day processing of trash.
Obviously, if this idea were to ever come to fruition, there would be a lot of planning and analysis that must be done first. There are some negative aspects to the idea. I asked about the burn pit, which doesn't want to be near Townsend. Director Graveley explained the burn pit and some other aspects of the Indian Creek transfer station wouldn't be moved. But the meeting didn't allow time to go into other details. For example, how would trucks enter and exit the facility? Through the City? Our roads might not handle the load and residents likely won't appreciate all the trucks. Somewhere north of the current site? That's all privately owned property. Possibly another near-to-Highway-287 location can be found? These are only a few of the many, many questions that must be asked and answered, so any decision — if a decision is ever made — is a long way away.
But that doesn't mean it's not an interesting idea to think about. And when it comes to saving City and County residents money, I want to think and talk more about it. If you're interested in specifically what was said between Director Graveley and myself, you can find the video minutes of the meeting on the County YouTube channel.
As always, these are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not reflect City policy or the thoughts of the City Council in any way. This idea has never been discussed by the City Council. But if you want to share your thoughts with me, I'd love to hear about them! Send me an email at CouncilmanHowick@TownsendMontana.net.
Thank You!
JB Howick City Council, Ward I
