City consultant Chris Bell and staff presented a 2026 solid-waste rate review recommending a cost-of-service approach rather than a uniform CPI increase. Bell said the proposed change separates a $1.38 per-cart collection charge from a disposal component calculated from average volume and weight to derive specific rates for each cart size, and noted that disposal costs (regulated by Metro) have outpaced CPI increases in recent years.

Staff presented two policy alternatives for residential rate spreads: maintain a roughly 25% spread between the 20-gallon and larger carts or increase the spread to 30%. Under the 30% scenario, the 20-gallon rate would rise by about 1.4% while 35-gallon and 65-gallon services would see larger increases (about 6.8% and 8% respectively); roughly 736 customers (about 12% of the customer base) have the subsidized 20-gallon cart.

Councilors asked about prior rate history and contract obligations. Bell and staff said disposal increases are the primary driver and that maintaining contract margins with Republic Services supports a larger-than-CPI increase. Council discussed equity of subsidies across cart sizes and the city’s contractual obligations; staff will bring back the formal rate ordinance and fee schedule for a Dec. 15 council decision.