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Council considers passing fuel-based garbage surcharge; residents urge electric trucks to cut costs
Summary
Council reviewed a resolution to raise the per-cart garbage charge ($1.02 per cart) to pass fuel adjustments and service costs from Coastal Environmental Waste Services. Staff said the contract allows a fuel adjustment and annual cost-of-living increases; some residents urged the town to use contract leverage to push haulers toward electric trucks.
Town staff presented a proposed resolution to establish a modified per-cart price that passes Coastal Environmental Waste Services' fuel-adjustment charges to residential customers. Staff said the five-year contract permits a monthly fuel adjustment tied to diesel prices and an annual cost-of-living increase; the staff presentation identified a proposed per-cart increase of $1.02 and said additional fuel-adjustment charges would be passed through and divided among residential customers.
Councilors asked whether the contract contains a cap on the fuel adjustment. Staff initially said they would review the contract and later noted they had not found a specific cap in the documents they had at the meeting; the town attorney/staff indicated the initial contract term commenced Sept. 27, 2022, and expires Sept. 27, 2027, with an option to renew.
In public comment, resident Stuart urged the town to press the contractor to transition to electric collection vehicles to eliminate fuel surcharges and reduce noise, and others warned that fuel surcharges often remain even when fuel prices decline. Council members noted the limited number of vendors able to handle municipal collection in the region and said the proposed change is meant to keep the collection service solvent.
Vote and process: the council moved the resolution forward, took public comment and prepared for a roll-call vote. The transcript records motions, public comment and the council's move to a roll-call vote; the meeting record does not include a clear, named tally of the final roll-call outcome in the section of the transcript provided.
Ending: staff said the resolution would pass costs to customers to keep service running while the contract is in effect; councilors and residents asked staff to review contract caps, renewal timing and options for requiring lower-emissions trucks in future procurements.
