Ratepayers in SLO County community could pay 62% more for garbage removal. Here’s why
Ratepayers in one San Luis Obispo County community could pay 62% more to have their trash hauled away starting next month — unless enough of them formally protest the fee hike in time.
In August, Mission Country Disposal notified Cambria Community Services District customers that their costs for garbage, recycling and greenwaste removal will rise 62.19% starting Oct. 1 and running through April 1, 2023. At that point, the fee increase will drop to nearly 42% above the original rate for the rest of the firm’s three-year contract.
That’s unless 2,011 ratepayers protest in writing before a hearing on Thursday.
Additional increases based on the Consumer Price Index could also be applied during the contract, a standard clause.
The firm said the temporary 21% rate hike pays toward its organics digester facility, which lets the firm comply with recent state requirements for reducing how much methane gas is emitted from decomposing organic waste. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas.
Mission Country says that the ongoing 42% rate increases are needed due to higher costs for buying and operating collection vehicles, increased expenses for fuel and labor, and the ongoing costs of operating and maintaining the digester.
The monthly charge for a residence using the smallest wheeled waste receptacle available to Mission Country customers — holding 32 gallons — will rise to $42.36 from $26.12, a rate established by a previous rate increase that went into effect in January 2021.
Customers are billed every two months.
The monthly cost for the largest residential waste wheeler, which holds 96 gallons, would rise to $127.07 from $78.35.
Picking up an extra bag of trash would cost $21.20. The current charge is $13.07.
Most communities in San Luis Obispo County were previously presented with and approved similar increases for San Luis Garbage services.
Those rate hikes were lower because they began as early as mid-2020, giving the garbage company more time to gradually increase costs.
Mission Country and San Luis Garbage are owned by Waste Connections, one of the largest North American full-service providers of solid waste collection.
How to protest fee hikes
How can Cambria CSD customers protest the fee hikes?
One written protest per parcel will be counted during the hearing, which will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Cambria Community Services District’s board of directors meeting at the Veterans Memorial Building in Cambria.
The district must receive all protests before the start of the hearing.
The letters of objection can only be submitted by mail to CCSD, Attention: Board Secretary, P.O. Box 65, Cambria CA 93428, or delivered in person to the office at 1316 Tamsen St., Suite 201, in Cambria.
No emailed or verbal protests will be counted, although the directors will take public testimony at the hearing.
A protest must include the address or parcel number, statement that officially objects to the higher rates being proposed and signature of the property’s owner or tenant.
Mission Country has not said what could happen if the rate increases do not go into effect.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
