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Commission receives request to increase residential solid-waste rates; introduction approved 3–2 amid customer-service concerns
Summary
Department of Operations and Maintenance requested a 5.5 percent residential solid-waste fee increase — higher than the 4.8 percent CPI adjustment in the contract with Waste Management — citing previous absorbed increases; the Board approved introduction by roll-call vote 3–2 after discussion about customer service and rate-subsidy concerns.
The county’s Operations and Maintenance director presented the annual residential solid-waste fee adjustment and asked the Board to introduce a rate increase that would take effect July 1.
Director of Operations and Maintenance Antonio Jaramillo said the Waste Management contract allows annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments based on the Water, Sewer and Trash CPI. That index released a March figure of 4.8 percent; the county proposed a 5.5 percent rate adjustment to recover prior absorbed CPI increases and maintain service levels. Jaramillo said invoices are issued quarterly by Waste Management and that low-income discounts remain in place per county policy.
Commissioners and staff discussed customer-service problems and phone access to Waste Management. Jaramillo provided two contact numbers for constituent concerns and said the county’s offices work with Waste Management on unresolved issues. Commissioner Frank Baca and others said they had experienced or heard repeated difficulty getting timely responses from the contractor. Commissioner Frank Baca said he would test the provided numbers and expressed appreciation for the county director raising the customer-service issue.
Votes and next steps: The commission took the item as an introduction and the vote to introduce the rate change passed 3–2 (two commissioners voted no). Commissioners noted the introduction allows staff to bring a final ordinance or financial resolution back at a later meeting with detailed rate language and further information on customer-service improvements and exemptions.
Ending: Staff will work with Waste Management to improve customer-service response procedures and return with the formal rate ordinance for final action.
