Logan staff propose rate increases, new landfill fees after county split

Logan City staff on July 16 proposed increases to residential, commercial and landfill fees aimed at covering higher labor, fuel and equipment costs and at making shared waste facilities self-sustaining after Logan separated collection services from Cache County.

The proposal presented by Tyler Richard and solid-waste staff would raise the monthly collection charge for a 90-gallon residential container from $17.65 to $18.50 (a 50¢ increase), raise many commercial dumpster rates by 15–25%, and increase roll-off hauling fees from $126 to $182 per pull. Staff also proposed charging for green-waste disposal for the first time: $25 per ton with a $10 minimum load fee (currently green-waste is accepted free at Logan’s facilities). City staff said that green-waste collection rates would be adjusted to encourage curbside participation (a lower monthly curbside green-waste fee is part of the recommended structure).

Why it matters: Logan took over local collection functions after leaving the county system last year. That separation reduced Logan’s route count and shifted a larger share of fixed facility costs (landfill, transfer station, composting, household-hazardous waste) onto Logan’s budget. Staff said capital needs—new landfill equipment, composting machinery and future cell/closure costs—plus sharply higher wages and diesel prices made the increases necessary.

Supporting details: Staff and an outside consultant presented a 10-year capital plan that anticipates periodic replacement of collection trucks and heavy landfill equipment (single landfill compactors and specialized compost machinery can cost near $1 million). The consultant’s full cost-of-service estimate was about $15.4 million; projected revenues at current rates were about $12.7 million, leaving a gap staff recommended closing mostly through the suggested rate changes.

Other specifics the presentation included: - A recommended staged increase to the landfill tipping fee (to about $38 per ton and later to $40 in fiscal year 2027). The minimum “pickup-load” fee would rise from $10 to $15. - A recommended $25/ton charge for green-waste loads (and a $10 minimum for small loads) with a later potential increase to $40 per ton after FY26, to align Logan with regional landfills and to recover facility costs. - Incentives in the proposal to keep curbside green-waste rates lower than drop-off tipping in order to divert organic material from the landfill.

Staff emphasized that the proposed increases reflect rising wage and benefits costs (example: a collection operator’s salary rose from roughly $35,000 in 2018 to about $52,000 at present) and higher diesel prices. The solid-waste advisory board reviewed the draft and recommended it move forward.

Next steps and timing: City staff said the changes are proposed to take effect in 2025 for collection changes and that the larger landfill/tipping adjustments would phase in as shown in staff materials (including a later step in FY27). Staff noted they will continue outreach and that reserves and timing of capital purchases provide limited short-term flexibility.