Saterfiel retiring from county post
COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County Solid Waste Director Roger Saterfiel has decided to retire at the end of this month.
He has been director for 13 years.
"It's time to move on," Saterfiel, 61, said Thursday. "I've been doing this a long time."
He said he has already received multiple job offers, including one supervising apartment construction in Malaysia.
He plans to take the summer to consider his next move.
He helped open the Fighting Creek Landfill, working as operations manager at the time. He helped establish the county's two transfer stations.
Saterfiel was operations manager when the Ramsey Road facility opened, and director when the Prairie Avenue facility in Post Falls opened.
He had a hand in the county selling methane gas to Kootenai Electric Cooperative, which converts it into energy.
He oversees 58 employees. He has hired the vast majority of the current staff.
"I have no accomplishments, but we as a department have a long, long list of accomplishments," Saterfiel said.
He has always stressed customer service and appearance of the facilities.
"Just because it's a dump doesn't mean it has to look like one," he said.
He is most proud of the revenue system that has been developed. If left unchanged, he said, there will be no need for fee increases in the foreseeable future.
"He has been an exceptional employee," Commissioner Todd Tondee said Thursday. "He's done some really great things for the county."
Saterfiel has been with the county 28 years, moving up through the ranks.
"He knows our solid waste business inside and out," Tondee said. Saterfiel "brings a common sense and business approach to solid waste."
He said Saterfiel has been leading the state in technology used for solid waste, including compaction and cover.
The county is already advertising the open position, both internally and externally, Tondee said. The pay range is $54,000 to $78,000.
Saterfiel has been working in solid waste for more than 38 years, starting on the back of a garbage truck.
"I've done it all," Saterfiel said.
He has built and operated landfills, transfer facilities, and collection systems.
He joined the county department when it was established in 1986.
A going-away party is at the county administrative building from 1-3 p.m. on May 28.