Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Maria Council adopts new solid-waste rates after Prop 218 hearing; most cart customers spared year-one increase
Summary
Following an 18-month cost-of-service study, the council adopted new four-year solid-waste rates after hearing staff and consultants. Staff said most cart customers will see no first-year increase; later years include phased adjustments to cover rising processing costs and a projected fleet-electrification investment.
The City Council voted May 5 to adopt a four-year schedule of solid-waste collection rates following a Prop 218 public hearing and an 18-month cost-of-service study.
Interim Utilities staff Michelle Ruiz summarized the study and the Prop 218 process, and consultant Josiah Cloves described the methodology and cost drivers: annual operations and maintenance increases, new regulatory processing costs, rising insurance, and an estimated $11.5 million future cost related to fleet electrification (vehicles, charging infrastructure, training and maintenance). Cloves said the city modeled the revenue requirement to smooth rate changes over time and use reserves to mitigate near-term uncertainty.
Most residents protected in year one: Ruiz told the council "the majority of customers won't see any change in year one," and staff emphasized a phased approach so single-family cart customers would not face an immediate large bill shock. Staff said a 90-gallon cart customer would see an estimated $2.82 monthly increase in year two (July 2027) and that, over the full four-year cycle, the typical 90-gallon rate would rise roughly $13.56 cumulatively.
Public process and protests: Staff described outreach (Prop 218 notices mailed with utility bills to 20,583 accounts, a public workshop, website postings and bilingual materials). At the close of the public hearing the city clerk reported seven valid written protests, well short of the majority protest threshold (10,293 protests would have been required), allowing council to proceed.
Council action and vote: After closing the hearing, the council moved, seconded and adopted the rate adjustments. The clerk's roll-call showed unanimous support among members present.
What the measure funds and next steps: The rate package is intended to fund projected operating and capital needs for the solid-waste enterprise (service delivery, processing, truck replacement and future electrification costs) and to maintain prudent reserve levels. Staff said the city will continue to seek grant opportunities to offset processing and electrification costs and will revisit rates if major cost drivers change.
Representative quote: Consultant Josiah Cloves said, "fleet electrification is a significant cost we are looking at within the next five or so years, totaling about 11.5 million," noting the city modeled those costs to avoid an immediate shock to ratepayers.
Ending: The adopted rates will be implemented on the schedule in staff's report; staff will monitor processing and electrification cost trends and return to council if adjustments are needed.
