Wave Staff Report
PARAMOUNT — Residents and businesses in the city will receive a fee hike for trash pickup, effective April 1, following City Council approval March 2.
The city’s solid waste franchise agreement with Cal-Met Services authorizes annual rate increases based on rising costs, said Public Works Director Adrianna Figueroa in a report to the City Council.
“The residential rate would increase from $19.74 to $20.22, or 48 cents per month or about 2.5%, Figueroa said.
“For a 3-yard bin, customers with one pick-up once per week, the rate would go from $145.25 to $155.14 monthly, or an increase of $9.89.
“The second largest category of commercial accounts is a 3-yard bin with two pick-ups per week. That rate would increase from $242.11 to $258.57 per month, or an increase of $16.46.
“The third largest category of commercial accounts is a 3-yard bin with three pick-ups per week. This rate would increase from $336.33 to $359.19 per month, or a $22.86 increase,” Figueroa said.
According to Cal-Met, the rate adjustments were necessary to cover increases in the consumer price index and CalMet’s disposal tipping fee cost.
The city’s agreement with CalMet allows the consumer price index to be used in reference to the rate increase request from August 2019 to August 2020.
During that period, the consumer price index increased 3%, indicating a rise in cost for a market basket of consumer goods and services, Figueroa said in her report.
Another cost for trash haulers is tipping fees. Trash haulers must take their collected trash to a materials recovery facility to have the recyclable materials processed. Those facilities charge a fee for every ton of waste taken to their facility, known as a tipping fee.
Specifically, the tipping fees for recyclable items has increased significantly in the last year in comparison to green waste and standard solid waste.
“This has resulted in an average increase in the price per ton for the processing of recyclables of about 14%,” Figueroa said in her report.
