Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves higher garbage rates after staff warns the solid waste fund is drawing down reserves
Summary
Following a staff presentation that the solid waste fund has absorbed losses, the council adopted a rate increase to $14 for the first can and $13 for additional cans after public commenters raised questions about budget line items and rate structure.
Bryce, the staff financial presenter, told the council the solid waste collection fund has been drawing on its reserves and that staff recommends increasing flat per-can rates to stop the erosion of the fund balance. He said the city has limited short-term options to reduce collection and disposal costs and recommended raising rates to $14 for the first can and $13 for each additional can.
Bryce summarized the cost picture: "It costs about $12 per can for the entire collection and disposal of the waste," he said, and added that at the proposed rates staff estimates the fund will end the year with roughly $100,000 in reserves rather than continuing to draw them down. He noted the city's contractor, Republic Services, has a multi-city relationship and a built-in annual increase that the contract anticipates.
During the public hearing, residents questioned the structure and size of the increase. Mike Eskridge, a resident with budget experience, said he found what may be a budgeting error and highlighted a large jump in a disposal-line item on the posted materials: "I did notice that the dump fees have been $550 every year. But for some reason, now it's $5,050," he said, and asked staff to review the figures. John Higgins urged the council to consider a more modest increase noting a fund deficit estimate and asked staff to examine options including recycling expansions.
Council members discussed alternatives, including smaller increases paired with future rate reviews, but concluded a rate change was necessary to stop the ongoing reserve drawdown. A motion to adopt the staff-recommended rates carried on a roll-call vote. The council directed staff to follow up with additional budget details requested by public commenters and to return with any options for using recycling or tonnage-based billing if feasible in future contract cycles.
Outcome: Council adopted the rate increase to $14 for the first can and $13 for each additional can; staff will meet with commenters and provide further documentation about budget calculations and assumptions.
