Recology proposes 5.75% rate increase, outlines expanded services and earlier summer pickup start

Recology representatives told the Talent City Council on May 21 that the company is proposing a 5.75% rate increase that would raise the standard 32‑gallon residential monthly charge by $1.43 to $26.33 and said the company plans to move residential pickup one hour earlier during June through September.

The increase and operational changes were presented by Eric Onmark, Recology community affairs manager, and Robert Long, assistant general manager. Onmark said Recology is “100% employee owned” and emphasized the company’s focus on “resource recovery” rather than simply waste collection. He described local services that he said are unique in the Rogue Valley, including curbside glass collection, mattress recycling, household battery recycling and a staffed local customer support center with bilingual staff.

Onmark said the proposed rate increase is driven primarily by disposal costs and labor: “These last two years have been double what we anticipated” for landfill charges, and Recology also needs to retain and grow its workforce, he said. Onmark described capital investments — six new trucks added this year and other equipment upgrades — as part of the company’s effort to modernize service.

Councilors asked operational questions while Recology was in the room. Public works and Recology representatives told the council the company intends to start residential collection one hour earlier from June through September for safety and heat‑related reasons and to align with a June–September earlier start in nearby Ashland. Onmark said the earlier start is to reduce heat exposure for drivers and to comply with workplace safety guidance; he acknowledged the change could prompt additional calls from residents and said Recology will deploy outreach (website, social media, local news outlets and scripts for customer service staff).

Council members and Recology staff discussed how the rate request will be handled procedurally. City staff said they will collect information from Recology, prepare a staff report and place the matter on a future council agenda for formal consideration; councilors indicated a preference that the item be treated as a standalone rate matter rather than a routine consent calendar item. Recology staff said they hoped to align a rate change with a July billing cycle and said they would provide the presentation materials for the city to post online.

The presentation also covered Recology’s local programs, including mattress recycling (more than 7,000 mattresses reported recycled since 2023 at the Valley View facility), curbside glass shipped to a glass recycler to become new bottles (rather than used as landfill cover), a battery recycling pilot, and exploration of food‑scrap composting options. Onmark said a full curbside food‑scrap program would require capital improvements at regional facilities and that drop‑off pilot options are under consideration.

The council did not vote on the proposed rate increase at the meeting; staff and Recology agreed to return with the formal request and supporting materials at a future meeting for council action.