Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews LeMay franchise renewal: senior discount, curbside voucher pickups and CPI indexing discussed
Summary
City staff presented a proposed franchise renewal with Harold LeMay Services on Nov. 3 that would change CPI indexing, add a low‑income senior discount and create curbside voucher pickups; council set a public hearing for Nov. 17.
City staff presented a draft franchise renewal for Harold LeMay Services and answered council questions about service differences, rates and new program elements.
Lisa Metorek, director of administrative services, said LeMay serves about 460 residential and commercial accounts in the southeast quadrant of University Place and that roughly 425 of those are residential. "The current franchise with LeMay is set to expire on December 31," Metorek said, and staff negotiated updates in six areas including CPI‑U timing, a low‑income senior discount, voucher pickup language, franchise term, insurance limits and housekeeping code updates.
Metorek described a proposed change in the CPI‑U adjustment window to August‑to‑August to align with LeMay’s September fiscal cycle and a request to move from 70% of CPI‑U to 100% of CPI‑U subject to a 5% cap on annual rate increases. She gave an example for a typical LeMay residential customer: "If we were to apply the CPIU at a 100%, the rate difference would be an increase of a dollar 48¢ for that customer. So they would see, approximate the new rate would go from $52.99 per month to $54.47 per month." In return for that change, staff negotiated a 20% discount for low‑income seniors who can document eligibility under the Tacoma Public Utilities senior discount and who use a 35‑gallon container.
Other proposed additions include a curbside voucher pickup program (minimum four events per year) so residents can arrange pickups rather than drive materials to a drop‑off, and updated insurance limits to meet WCIA requirements (commercial general liability and other coverages raised to $2–$5 million per occurrence). Metorek also noted LeMay does not currently offer the citywide bulky curbside pickup that the primary hauler provides and that the city and LeMay are continuing discussions about secure glass drop‑off locations.
Council members asked for a concise comparison of benefits to residents and the city, and staff said they would supply a one‑page summary before the Nov. 17 public hearing. The council provided direction to proceed with the draft language and scheduled a public hearing and formal consideration for Nov. 17; staff said the new franchise, if adopted, would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
