Meridian City Council - 10/20/26

The City of Meridian City Council held a work session and regular meeting on October 20, 2026. In the work session, staff reported that the city’s ARPA-funded biosolids dryer project, begun in 2023, is close to completion and must be complete by the end of December to meet ARPA deadlines. The first full-scale unit in the country has experienced startup issues and intermittent equipment failures; staff is working toward stable operation. The dryer is expected to reduce landfill hauling by evaporating about 18 tons of water per day and cutting trips from daily to one or two per week. Staff also described an updated odor study and preliminary odor-control options for the dryer. Approximately $3.6 million in additional odor-control upgrades is planned for another high-odor source in 2029–2031, but staff said studies are needed to guide investment. No new contract awards or spending approvals were identified.

At the regular meeting, council approved the But Fence annexation with conditions addressing a future collector road and the existing building’s nonconforming status, and approved a comprehensive-plan amendment and annexation for an industrial flex-warehouse proposal. Council continued the Finley Cove residential proposal to January 5, 2027, to allow further work on access and connectivity with adjacent properties. The consent agenda was approved, but its contents were not detailed in the transcript.