Hollister
– Residents of unincorporated San Benito County could soon be
paying more for garbage collection and recycling services.
Hollister – Residents of unincorporated San Benito County could soon be paying more for garbage collection and recycling services.
Norcal Waste Systems has notified the Board of Supervisors that it wants to raise fees by 3.95 percent on Feb. 1. The supervisors have scheduled a hearing for Jan. 30 on the proposal.
“It’s pretty routine,” said Phil Couchee, general manager of Norcal Waste Systems of San Benito County. “It’s also a relatively modest increase.”
But Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz said he takes issue with the “routine” nature of the proposed fee increase.
“The staff has not brought us options to consider,” De La Cruz said. “Every time waste management puts something on the agenda, it’s always to increase fees. … I don’t support an increase until we’ve looked at all the options.”
However, Couchee said the fees are calculated every year through a predetermined formula. “We just plug in the new numbers,” he said.
The formula incorporates average motor fuel costs, vehicle replacement costs, vehicle maintenance costs, disposal fees and the consumer price index. The average cost of labor – as calculated by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics – is the most heavily weighted part of the formula; the cost has increased 3.61 percent in the past year.
Mandy Rose, director of the county’s Integrated Waste Management department, said Norcal has been handling the county’s garbage and recycling service since 2002.
The proposed rate increase would not affect residents of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, whose garbage service is handled by different companies.
De La Cruz said he’s worried about the effect a fee increase could have on low-income county residents. He said that if they can’t afford the increase, they’ll just end up dumping trash in streets and yards.
That concern is shared by county resident Greg Renz, who said there is already a problem with garbage on the roads. However, Renz – who owns AGCO Hay Company – said he doesn’t have strong feelings about the increase.
“I don’t have any qualms about paying the fees,” he said. “Costs have gone up for my business, too.”
County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said the public hearing is the county’s first to focus exclusively on garbage and recycling fees.
In the past, Thompson said, fees were discussed at the general budget hearings. But following a ruling by the state Supreme Court, the county is now required to hold a separate hearing on garbage rates.
The hearing will be at 1:30pm Jan. 30 in the County Administration Building. If the board approves the proposed changes, the new rates will become effective on Feb. 1. Couchee said county residents would see the new rates on their March bills.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
