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Sumner council hears why refuse rates are rising and what residents will pay
Summary
City staff and the refuse contractor explained higher disposal and environmental costs, a newly applied state B&O tax and proposed monthly increases for residential service; council asked about equity, recycling incentives and aid for fixed-income residents.
City staff and a refuse-service presenter told the Sumner City Council at a study session that rising landfill-treatment costs, hauling to out-of-region landfills and a newly applied state business-and-occupation (B&O) tax are driving proposed increases to residential garbage rates.
Unidentified Presenter (speaker 2), the presenter for the refuse contract, said environmentally driven costs such as leachate treatment and methane mitigation have pushed disposal fees higher and that some waste will be hauled east to lower-cost landfills when economically advantageous. The presenter said the proposed per-month increases before the B&O tax would be $1.53 for a 35-gallon can, $2.56 for a 65-gallon can and $3.62 for a 95-gallon can; if the council allows pass-through of the state B&O tax, that would add about $0.14, $0.19 and $0.25 to those three service levels, respectively.
Council members pressed staff on who bears the cost increase. Council member Kenna asked whether larger users pay more of the increase; the presenter confirmed percentage and dollar increases are larger for bigger containers, and gave a commercial example: a one-yard commercial container would cost $158.46 and see a $7.11 increase. Deputy Mayor Elpers and others asked about protections for residents on fixed incomes; staff said no assistance program is included in the current proposal but said staff are willing to discuss options and that better recycling and organics diversion are the primary near-term ways residents can reduce bills.
The presenter described program changes intended to reduce landfill volume: residential food-scrap collection is now allowed in yard-waste bins, and the refuse contractor intends to hire a community-outreach position to run recycling and composting education and reduce contamination. Council member Evers asked whether glass will be accepted in curbside recycling; staff said commingled glass is problematic when it breaks in trucks, but drop-off sites exist and separate curbside glass collection would add cost.
No formal council action was taken at the study session; staff said the rate-change item will return to the regular council meeting next Tuesday for consideration and that staff will email councilmembers with full rate tables and contact information.
