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Huntington Beach previews rate hikes tied to new county landfill agreement and state organics law
Summary
Public Works previewed a new county disposal agreement and state-mandated organics recycling (SB 1383) that together will raise residential and commercial refuse rates; staff proposed phasing increases over three years and will return for a May public hearing and ordinance.
City staff previewed proposed refuse-rate adjustments and franchise changes on March 17, telling the City Council that a new county disposal agreement and the state’s organics recycling mandate (SB 1383) will drive higher costs for residential and commercial solid-waste service.
Deborah Jabinski of Public Works described a proposed countywide 'WISE' (Waste Infrastructure System Enterprise) disposal agreement that would replace the current landfill-disposal contract expiring June 30, and said negotiated landfill fees under the new agreement could be substantially higher. Separately, SB 1383 requires jurisdictions and haulers to implement food-waste/organics collection, processing and tracking; Huntington Beach must amend its Republic Services franchise to provide organics services not contemplated by the original contract.
Staff said the combined effect is a significant cost increase that the city plans to phase in over three years to smooth the impact on customers. As a preview example, staff noted a monthly residential impact of approximately $7.58 in the first phase (total illustrative new monthly rate shown as about $36.64 for a typical service level) with additional phased increases over 2027–28 tied to landfill-fee escalations and CPI components.
City staff emphasized the steps they will take before any rate is adopted: a public-notice program and a May 19 hearing on proposed residential rates, and an ordinance to amend the franchise agreement to allow Republic Services to provide organics and to recover those costs. Staff also said they will ask the council later to approve the county disposal agreement (WISE) and bring back the franchise amendment.
Jabinski and other staff noted the city has worked with a consultant to verify Republic’s cost estimates and said commercial-dumpster rates would also rise (staff estimated 12–14% for many commercial rate classes). She previewed enforcement mechanisms for SB 1383, including ‘‘lid lifts’’ (collection-driver or staff inspections of containers at the curb), and said the city will staff one additional full-time position for compliance/enforcement work tied to SB 1383 reporting obligations. Businesses may apply for exemptions when they do not generate enough organic waste or lack space for a separate collection container.
Councilmembers pressed staff on options to mitigate impacts and stressed that these are state and county-driven costs rather than an arbitrary city increase. Staff said the three-year phase-in was chosen to minimize immediate hardship and that city staff negotiated contract provisions (including liquidated-damage language) to preserve local remedies if service is interrupted. The council will consider formal rate adoption and franchise amendments in late spring after community outreach.
If adopted, the program will require residents to place food scraps into the green organics cart and will expand inspection, reporting and enforcement activities to meet state compliance deadlines.
