Carpinteria Council approves 5% increase to AB 939 solid-waste program fee after Prop 218 hearing

CARPINTERIA, Calif. — After a noticed Proposition 218 hearing on March 24, the Carpinteria City Council approved a 5 percentage‑point increase to the city’s Assembly Bill 939 solid-waste program fee to cover higher implementation and regulatory costs tied to state mandates and expanded city services.

Staff and the city’s solid-waste contractor, EJ Harrison and Sons, told council members the program has added outreach and operational work in recent years — including support for businesses as they comply with Senate Bill 1383 organic-waste requirements — and that the city has hired additional staff to support those efforts. Environmental program manager Erin Maker said the fee funds a mix of activities including public outreach, battery and bulky-item drop-off, street‑side receptacle maintenance, sweepings, and program implementation staff time.

The fee is collected as a percentage of gross receipts on solid-waste bills and is remitted to the city by the contractor. The council approved raising the rate for residential accounts from 8% to 13% and the commercial rate from 6% to 11%. Staff pointed to regional comparisons showing Carpinteria’s overall residential service rates (post-increase) would remain lower than many surrounding communities. Notices were mailed to all solid‑waste customers in compliance with the Proposition 218 process; staff reported zero written protests.

Why it matters: The fee increase is intended to make the program self-supporting as state mandates create new compliance and outreach demands; the council emphasized an “education-then-enforcement” approach to new regulatory responsibilities.

Implementation: Staff will amend the franchise agreement with EJ Harrison and Sons to reflect the new percentages and update customer billing processes. The change takes effect after vendor billing adjustments and administrative implementation steps are complete.