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West Richland council amends solid-waste rates after vendor transfer-fee hike
Summary
Council adopted Resolution 24-26 to amend the master fee schedule for solid-waste service after a vendor (EDS) increased a transfer/source fee from $59.74 to $80 per ton; staff said that component’s increase translates into roughly a 10% pass-through for most services.
The West Richland City Council adopted Resolution 24-26, amending the master fee schedule for solid-waste services after the city’s waste-hauler notified the city of a midyear increase to a third-party transfer fee.
Director Gwyn explained the underlying vendor fee increase: the transfer (source) fee charged to EDS rose from $59.74 per ton to $80 per ton, a change she described as a 34% increase on that fee component. She said that, as permitted by contract, the hauler passed a portion of that increase through to city rates and that for most services this translated to roughly a 10% increase in the portion of the overall rate tied to disposal costs. In the meeting transcript Director Gwyn stated, "a single family residential can is going to go up $341," a figure that appeared in the live audio but is not otherwise clarified in the record; staff indicated the change represents a proportional pass-through, not a wholesale shift in all charge components.
Council Member Ken Stoker requested the item be pulled from consent so directors could explain the reason for the amendment; after the staff explanation council moved and approved the resolution by voice vote.
What to watch: Staff and the finance department should publish the updated fee schedule and the specific per-account impacts (household monthly/annual amounts) so residents can see the exact changes and how the new fee is calculated under the contract pass-through.
