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Paso Robles approves solid-waste rate increases after Prop 218 hearing
Summary
After a Prop 218 public hearing with 13 written protests — far short of a majority — the City Council unanimously approved rate increases proposed by franchise hauler Paso Robles Waste & Recycle to address rising disposal, labor and regulatory costs.
Paso Robles City Council unanimously approved new solid-waste rates proposed by franchise hauler Paso Robles Waste & Recycle after completing the Proposition 218 public hearing process on Jan. 15.
The council’s action follows a staff and hauler presentation explaining the drivers behind the increases — including rising landfill tip fees, higher recycling processing costs, equipment and insurance expenses, and state mandates tied to SB 1383. Paso Robles Waste & Recycle General Manager Ian Hoover told the council the company’s most recent audited financials showed a negative return on some operations and that the firm is seeking rate adjustments to achieve a target 10% operating return.
The adopted adjustments include an 11.96% increase to standard residential and commercial rates and a larger increase for roll‑off service (recovery-only portion of roll‑off rates) of roughly 33.9%, reflecting that roll‑off rates had not been changed in the city since 2007. Staff reported sample changes: the most common 60‑gallon residential service would rise by $6.87 per month and a typical 1.5‑cubic‑yard weekly commercial service would rise about $19.14 per month. The city also intends to implement an IWMA (Integrated Waste Management Authority) fee increase if the rate adjustments are adopted.
The Prop 218 notice process produced 13 written protests by the deadline; staff said a majority protest would have required 8,568 protests. Because a majority protest did not exist, the council moved forward and approved a resolution implementing the new rates and authorizing the city manager to execute related documents.
Councilmember Jim Gregory made the motion to approve the resolution and Councilmember Beal seconded. The vote was unanimous (ayes recorded for all members present).
Hoover and city staff said the increases were driven by a mix of industry‑wide trends — pandemic staffing impacts, supply‑chain pressures, and several cost categories rising sharply since the last rate study in 2020 — and by compliance costs tied to state recycling and organic‑waste rules. The hauler also noted roll‑off services had been unchanged for many years and are well below current market levels.
The council’s action updates city franchise rates; the newly adopted figures and effective dates will be published in the implementing resolution and made available via the city clerk’s office and the hauler’s customer notices.
The council did not receive enough written protests to block the increase, and staff confirmed the Prop 218 process and tabulation in the meeting record.
