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Decatur raises sanitation fees; pilot curbside organics planned
Summary
The commission adopted a revised sanitation fee schedule to address rising costs: increased residential fees and bag prices, higher commercial container rates, and a planned curbside organics pilot (250 homes) expected to start in spring; staff estimates combined revenue increases of about $412,000.
The City Commission approved changes to the 2025 sanitation fee schedule after staff presented an operations review that cited rising costs for fuel, vehicle parts and tipping fees.
Sanitation staff reported that material-recovery tipping fees have increased from $60 to $70 per ton and that the city averages roughly 150 tons of commingled recyclables per month and about 40 tons of glass per month. The recommended fee changes include higher residential sanitation fees, increases to commercial-container charges and modest bag-price increases (for example, the 33-gallon blue bag from about $1.40 to $1.70). Staff estimated the package of changes would generate roughly $412,000 in additional revenue and substantially reduce projected draws on retained earnings.
Mr. Woodson said the department is preparing a curbside organics pilot (about 250 volunteer homes), with equipment and bins in hand and a target start in spring. He also noted efforts to negotiate equipment-maintenance costs and to explore electric trucks as technology matures.
Commissioners pressed staff for more historical rate trend data and asked whether the commercial increases are equitable; staff said commercial collection is less labor intensive and that the schedule seeks to move rates closer to the actual cost of service.
The commission voted to adopt the sanitation fee schedule as presented.
