City approves start of fee increase process for solid waste removal
– At Tuesday night’s Paso Robles City Council meeting, the council voted unanimously to move forward the process to allow an increase in rates for solid waste (trash) services within the city. Proposition 218 mandates that any increase in fees for city services must first have a public hearing where protests can be voiced by citizens. The proposition will also require the fees to be presented at multiple readings. The protest hearing is currently set for September 15.
What residential rates would be expected to increase to given the new proposed increase in fees.
Solid waste removal rates have not been raised in Paso Robles since 2008. A third party financial firm, California based R3 Consulting Group, was brought in to asses the fees and compare the rates to other jurisdictions in California.
They found that Paso Robles Waste and Recycling was behind other state jurisdictions on raising fees, and recommended an increase that would happen periodically, and cumulatively, over the next few years. To read the full report, click here.
The proposed rate increases and when they would take effect. The increases are cumulative, meaning that each year would be a percentage increase of the new total.
The city owns and operates the landfill, and Paso Robles Waste and Recycling operates on a franchise agreement with the city where they can bring the trash to the landfill. The rate adjustment would calculate out to an 11.1-percent increase in profit for the company.
