Tustin council approves County of Orange waste agreement despite dissent over rising tipping fees

The Tustin City Council on March 17 approved an enterprise agreement with the County of Orange to address countywide waste infrastructure needs, after a contentious discussion about expected rate increases that one councilmember said will fall on residents.

Councilmember Nielsen opposed the measure, saying the council lacked long-term options to limit increased costs. “I’m gonna vote no on this particular item,” Nielsen said, noting a previous increase figure of about 85% per ton that he said did not include CPI. Nielsen said many residents in his district are working families who would be burdened by higher rates.

City Manager (name not specified in the record) responded that the county and the City Managers Association have been negotiating to spread increases over time and that the city’s options are limited by county-level constraints and legal barriers on treating waste differently by origin. The manager also gave the council an estimated impact: “for a single-family home, it’s looking at probably a $5 increase in the first year,” and that the precise effect will vary by city.

Other councilmembers acknowledged the county’s challenge in finding long-term disposal space and said the county’s initial proposal had been negotiated down through regional coordination. After discussion, the council moved and the measure passed 4–1, with Nielsen recorded in dissent.

Next steps: the agreement will proceed under the enterprise terms approved by the council; the transcript does not specify implementation deadlines or additional local mitigation measures.

Votes at a glance: The motion to approve the County of Orange waste infrastructure enterprise agreement passed 4–1 (Councilmember Nielsen — No; others — Yes).