Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montebello hears update on Athens trash rollout after billing changes affected thousands
Summary
Council heard a status update from Athens' consultant about new cart-based trash billing and outreach after the company identified thousands of properties with extra carts; city staff said affected accounts are being audited before finalizing the property tax roll.
Athens consultant Jeff Kamara gave the Montebello City Council an update on the rollout of the city's new curbside cart service and the accompanying billing changes, telling the council Athens identified large numbers of affected accounts and that the company and city are continuing outreach and an audit before finalizing assessments to the tax roll.
The presentation outlined Athens' identification and communications work after the core cart service began. Kamara said Athens found “about 1,500 customers that had extra green cart service, and about 3,000 had a black cart service,” and that the city and Athens developed a multifaceted communications plan that included letters, postcards, a call center from July 1 to July 30, and an Athens booth at Streetfest to explain the changes and how to contact customer service.
Why it matters: the city plans to recover the charge for extra carts either through direct billing or via the property tax roll; Kamara said the vendor is still auditing parcel counts so some properties may be added to the tax roll later.
City staff said the property-tax process is constrained by the tax-roll deadline. Kamara explained that parcels not identified before the finalization of the tax roll will be billed directly at the core rate and later added to the FY 2027 tax roll after audit with city approval. He said Athens and city staff have been meeting weekly to address disputes and customer service issues as the audit continues.
Council members thanked Athens for responsiveness. Council member Peralta and others said they and constituents had contacted Athens and that Athens had been “quick in answering the questions and providing some solutions,” language used by a council member during the meeting.
Clarifying operational details discussed at the meeting: Kamara said an initial letter to affected residents went out June 18; Athens ran an all-hands call center July 1–30 and followed up with a postcard; Athens is completing a parcel audit that staff said will continue through September and into December so late-identified accounts can be included in the FY 2027 tax roll.
Staff did not provide a final count of properties to be added to the tax roll at this meeting and said that final parcel counts and the exact dollar amounts to be collected will be provided after the audit is complete. The city provided an Athens representative at the meeting to answer public questions.
Ending: City staff said they will continue weekly coordination with Athens and will notify council and residents when the audit is finalized and when any accounts are added to the tax roll.
