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Council adopts medical waste collection rate increase, citing incinerator closure and higher disposal costs
Summary
Keizer City Council adopted an ordinance changing medical waste collection franchise rates effective Aug. 1, 2025, after staff said closure of a local incinerator increased haulers' disposal costs and prompted a roughly 60% rate rise proposed by contractors.
City staff told Keizer City Council on June 2 that contractors who handle medical waste in the region face sharply higher disposal costs after the Brooks incinerator closed. Those higher costs mean haulers must find new disposal options at greater expense.
Staff presented an order to amend the franchise medical waste collection rates, including two customer categories (low-volume and high-volume users). The council opened the public hearing and had no speakers; after brief discussion the council adopted the order amending medical waste collection rates effective Aug. 1, 2025. Staff characterized the increase as substantial (about 60%) but necessary to cover actual disposal costs, and said it primarily affects medical offices and similar businesses rather than typical residential customers.
Why it matters: the change affects business costs for medical and veterinary offices and other entities that produce regulated medical waste; local haulers supported the rate change as necessary to cover disposal costs after a regional incinerator closed.
Key details - Effective date: Aug. 1, 2025. - Reason: closure of regional incinerator increased disposal costs for haulers, which requested rate adjustment. - Scope: changes affect franchise solid waste medical-waste collection rates (low- and high-volume categories) for businesses that generate regulated medical waste.
Council adopted the order during the June 2 meeting after no public testimony was offered at the hearing.
