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Council asks for detailed cost breakdown as trash pickup fees fall short of expenses
Summary
After reviewing tipping fees, fuel and labor, council members asked staff for a detailed cost analysis to determine whether to raise the trash pickup surcharge; preliminary figures suggested the current receipts do not cover diesel, labor and tipping fees.
Council members reviewed current trash-pickup revenues and expenses and requested a detailed cost breakdown before deciding whether to raise the surcharge on utility bills.
Council discussion cited current receipts for the trash surcharge at about $570 per month, a tipping/dump fee near $474.10 per month, and an estimated diesel fuel cost near $100 per week. Members also discussed labor costs for two employees running the truck (estimates discussed in the meeting included roughly $200 per week per person before taxes), replacement costs for tires and future equipment and the need to make the service self-sustaining. One on-the-record calculation discussed during the meeting yielded an approximate breakeven surcharge of about $8.90 per customer per month to cover the tipping fee, fuel and basic labor; speakers emphasized this as an initial estimate and asked staff to provide line-item labor, fuel, hauling, tipping and maintenance costs.
Council did not adopt a fee change at the meeting and instead directed staff to produce a detailed monthly cost breakdown and options for fee levels (examples mentioned ranged from $2.50 up to $10 per month). Members indicated they would revisit the item once more precise figures were available.
