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Council to treat condos like apartments for 2026 trash rates; solid‑waste contract limits options
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Summary
Under the borough’s fixed contract with Muscaro, staff proposed reclassifying condominium units to the apartment rate for equity; council agreed in principle and also reviewed options for future composting pilots and linkages to next contract negotiations.
Finance staff told council that the borough’s solid‑waste contract with Muscaro fixes total collection costs and that the 2026 fee schedule must allocate the contract amount fairly across property classifications. Staff proposed a new condominium classification and recommended treating condo units the same as apartment units for billing parity.
The proposed change would reduce condo rates and shift some burden to apartment unit charges; staff presented a sample scenario that lowered single‑family rates slightly while raising apartment/unit charges (example: single‑family $830, apartment/condo $280 under the proposed structure). Council discussed equity concerns, dumpster vs. individual cans for larger properties, and how land‑use coding drives the classification.
Council agreed in principle to the condo/apartment parity approach and directed staff to keep working on classifications and communication with affected property owners. Staff also noted the borough is two years from contract renewal with Muscaro and is exploring alternative routing and tiered pricing options (small/medium/large service) that could reduce rates and better reflect use after the current contract ends.
Council also reviewed the borough’s pilot programs planned from the green fund (communal composting) and discussed EV charger revenues that are still being tracked.
