Lake Forest City Council approves Orange County WISE agreement, cites higher disposal rates and capacity guarantees
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Summary
The Lake Forest City Council voted 4–0 April 7 to approve the WISE waste agreement with Orange County, accepting immediate disposal-rate increases that staff say will secure landfill capacity and shift certain long‑term costs into a phased schedule; CR&R will notify customers before the July 1 effective date.
The Lake Forest City Council voted 4–0 on April 7 to approve a Waste Infrastructure System Enterprise (WISE) agreement with the County of Orange that staff said is needed to guarantee landfill capacity and address rising operational and closure costs.
Staff presented the agreement as the successor to the 1997 Waste Disposal Agreement; administrative services staff said the initial draft proposed disposal-rate increases from $43.76 per ton to $82 per ton and projected further increases to about $107 per ton by 2030. Staff described negotiated changes that include a phased‑in rate approach, a blended consumer‑price index for future adjustments, optional rather than mandatory city participation in county organic‑waste services, and removal of city financial responsibility for hauler nonpayment.
“OCWR introduced the WISE agreement as the successor to the WDA,” staff said, outlining a first‑year disposal increase of roughly 53% and smaller increases in the next two years. Staff estimated the most common residential bundled 95‑gallon service would rise about $3.35 per month (13.4%), including a $0.95 increase for collection/processing and about $2.40 attributable to the county disposal cost. For an example commercial service—a 3‑cubic‑yard bin serviced weekly—staff estimated a monthly increase of about $46.29 (26.5%).
Council members asked whether the city had complied with Prop. 218 notice requirements and whether the pass‑through of disposal changes was legally covered. The city attorney pointed to the staff report attachments and said the adjustment for a change in the disposal charge is described in attachment J and appears allowable as a pass‑through under the prior notice process.
A council member disclosed employment with the County of Orange but said it was not within the department that generated the agreement and declared a non‑interest; the member voted on the item. Council ultimately moved and seconded staff’s recommendation to approve the WISE agreement and authorize the city manager to execute and make minor modifications as necessary, and the motion passed unanimously among members present (4–0 with Mayor Pro Tem Serbo absent).
CR&R will mail rate adjustment notifications to residential, commercial and multifamily customers no later than 30 days before the July 1, 2026 effective date, staff said.
The council’s action secures the WISE agreement terms for Lake Forest City while staff and OCCMA (Orange County City Managers Association) continue oversight and transparency reviews of OCWR’s financial status and implementation of the agreement.
