Garbage bills in many Central Coast communities could soon be going up. The rate increases proposed by local trash collection agencies and waste districts are attributed to rising costs for labor, fuel, and landfill use.
Residents in 10 areas of San Luis Obispo County will pay more to have their garbage picked up each week if the new pricing structure is approved.
The areas are Cambria, Cayucos, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano and Nipomo.
The city of San Luis Obispo would see a roughly 10% rate increase, but the biggest proposed increase is in Cayucos. There, fees would go up more than 14% which is equivalent to about $60 a year.
Ron Munds is General Manager of Los Osos Community Services District. He said the pricing recommendations are part of a deal worked about between local agencies and Waste Connections, the company that picks up the trash.
"What we did is we got a regional approach where the 10 communities that they serve got together to try to come up with a mutually agreeable way to control rate increases into the future, and Waste Connections stepped up to the table, agreed to some concessions,” Munds said.
Under California law, rate hikes can be rejected by a majority vote of residents in a given district. Waste customers will have 45 days to signal their opposition once they receive notice of the increases, which is expected in the coming weeks.
Munds said that if the increases are rejected, local garbage agencies and Waste Connections will have to work out a new deal, and that service cuts are possible.
If approved, the new rates would go into effect in January.
