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Staff recommends $2.66 monthly increase to franchise base rate for unincorporated residential curbside collection
Summary
County staff proposed increasing the base monthly franchise rate charged by residential collection franchised haulers from $14.66 to $17.32 per month (a $2.66 increase) to offset cumulative CPI and landfill tipping‑fee increases; the board was briefed and staff signaled further discussion later in the year.
County solid‑waste staff explained a proposed $2.66 per month adjustment to the base rate charged under the county’s residential solid‑waste franchise agreements for unincorporated areas. The adjustment would raise the base monthly rate from $14.66 to $17.32 for once‑weekly curbside service.
Staff said the franchise ordinance has governed curbside collection since 1973 and the current franchise agreements (in effect since 2019) included modest, infrequent adjustments tied to landfill tipping fees. The presenter said inflation and rising costs—including fuel and disposal tipping fees—have materially increased haulers’ cost of doing business since 2011; staff applied a recent multi‑year consumer‑price‑index adjustment to arrive at the $2.66 figure as a partial offset.
The presenter noted participation in the franchise service is at a record high—more than 19,000 households (about 68% of the approximately 28,000 households in unincorporated areas)—and said the service provider base‑rate has remained largely unchanged since 2012 aside from small tipping‑fee adjustments. Staff cautioned commissioners that service providers may seek larger increases than the proposed amount but said staff recommends the modest CPI‑based adjustment now and further discussion about rates after the current term of the agreement ends.
Why it matters: The base rate affects monthly costs for subscribers in unincorporated areas and will be applied across a large subscription base; staff framed the change as a partial inflation offset with further rate discussion anticipated later in the year.
Next steps: Staff presented the recommended adjustment for commissioner consideration; formal approval will be required before implementation and staff warned the board that more discussion about rates will follow as the franchise term approaches its next phase.
