Council pauses city-funded bulky-waste program and debates recreation fee increases

At the April 15 budget workshop, councilors agreed to pause Auburn's city-funded bulky-waste program after June 30 and asked staff to prepare a plan for how the service could resume in the next fiscal year with clearer rules for eligibility and collection.

Bulky-waste pause: The manager explained the decision to remove funding for bulky waste in the FY26 municipal proposal, noting that the program cost about $145,000 the previous year and the city's accounting systems cannot easily verify whether all users were Auburn residents. Councilors asked staff to design a restart that could include a sticker system, stricter verification and possible user fees; the manager said the city will still run the spring cleanup and will publicize the final June 30 collection opportunity.

Recreation fees and rentals: Recreation leadership briefed the council on program and facility changes proposed to close a budget gap. The department has consolidated special-revenue accounts into the operating budget and is projecting a 35% price increase on some program fees. Recreation Director Donna (recreation director) told the council that summer camp registration ' currently $900 ' would rise by 25% to approximately $1,125 if the proposed increases hold. She said the department will use existing CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) scholarship funds and payment plans to avoid turning away participants, but that the CDBG pool is limited (about $2,400 currently) and may not cover demand.

Facility rentals: The draft would limit evening rentals at the senior/community center and tighten after-hours operations because after-hours staffing is charged to part-time accounts. Daytime rental and programming would continue. Councilors asked staff to consider charging market-based rates or shifting rentals to special-revenue funds so the general operating budget is not increased by facility rental demands.

Why it matters: The bulky-waste pause and the recreation fee changes affect household services and youth programming costs that many residents use. Councilors asked staff to return proposals and eligibility rules so the council can evaluate alternatives for FY27.

Next steps: The manager and recreation director will come back with a plan for a restructured bulky-waste program (sticker or fee model) and with more detail on scholarship capacity and program pricing to avoid excluding low-income participants.