Frisbie retires, new manager starts at transfer station

MENLO — The Adair County Landfill and Transfer Station has a new manager. Kurt Reason of Winterset began leading the team at the facility last Wednesday.

Reason replaces Delmar Frisbie, who completed a 21-year career at the landfill with his retirement.

Frisbie started by serving in other roles at the landfill before he became manager about 10 years ago, he said.

“I thought it was time to let someone who is younger come in and take over,” said Frisbie. “I got into this because it was different and it was time for a job change. It was something different. You get to meet a lot of different people. I’ve had a good board to work with and a lot of good employees. The landfill is very lucky Kurt came on, otherwise they may have had to close the landfill.”

Reason is retired from working 39 years with the Iowa DOT. After a few years working for a towing company, he saw the advertisement for a manager for the Adair County Landfill and Transfer Station and decided to jump on it.

One of the most major tasks Reason will have off the bat is finding additional help at the landfill.

Due to COVID-19, CDLs are very hard to obtain right now. In fact, the landfill has pulled its recycling bins from the area communities due to a lack of truck drivers to collect them regularly. Instead, recycling bins are being placed outside the gates of the landfill, located six miles north of Greenfield on Highway 25, so the public can access them when needed.

“This is a job where I’ll have a little more free time. It’s something I haven’t done before and will be a new challenge,” Reason said. “Real short term, there is a goal to get more staff. There are a few I’m talking to right now. Hopefully we can get something worked out. It’s tough finding people with a CDL right now. If they haven’t driven a semi before either, I’m a little leery of throwing them in there and saying here you go.”