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Council reviews 45-cent solid-waste fee increase and debates fee structure
Summary
City staff proposed a 45-cent monthly per-cart increase effective July 1, 2026; council members debated whether fees should be restructured to align charges by cart size and to better incentivize recycling, and staff recommended additional work sessions before the all-day budget review.
City staff presented a resolution to raise solid-waste fees by $0.45 per cart beginning July 1, 2026, citing incremental adjustments tied to cost-of-living and landfill tipping fees. The increase would adjust the monthly per-cart charge already in the proposed budget.
Council members questioned whether the flat increase fairly distributes costs across 35-, 65- and 95-gallon carts. One councilor argued that smaller carts pay more per gallon and recommended a more proportional fee structure, while other members noted collection costs are driven by staff and equipment (fixed costs) rather than pure volume. Staff explained that roughly $4.55 of the current $16.90 base fee covers recycling services and that landfill tipping fees (charged by weight) and operational costs (staff and equipment) are the main drivers of system costs. Staff proposed setting up work sessions this summer to consider structural changes ahead of the all-day budget workshop.
Council agreed to explore concepts in more detail, noting that any systemic change would need time for analysis and public discussion. No final vote or ordinance change was taken at the meeting.
Next steps: staff to schedule work sessions before the budget workshop to develop options for fee structure changes and report back to council.
