Amador County – Jackson City Council on Monday approved a municipal trash rate increase of 3.68 percent as requested by ACES Waste Service due to increase costs at the landfill.
City Manager Mike Daly said the rate increase was based on a landfill tipping fee increase at Keifer Landfill in Sacramento County. ACES President Paul Molinelli Senior said the rate increase was based on a 25 percent increase, and Keifer’s fee is increasing from $20 to $25 per ton on July 1.
Daly said he received a letter from Martell resident Ken Berry urging the Council to not approve the rate increase without a Proposition 218 notification, for the purpose of protesting fees. Daly said he would read the letter into the record if any council member wanted to hear it but none asked for it.
City Attorney Andy Morris said Proposition 218 notifications, are related to fees that are mandatory. He said in the case of the recently settled Prop 218 protest suit regarding ACES rates, the city of Sutter Creek had a law that made trash service mandatory, making Proposition 218 apply to trash rates.
Morris said in Jackson, “self-hauling is an option,” so Proposition 218 does not apply. Daly said since Sutter Creek’s rate increase was challenged, they have amended their ordinance and no longer have mandatory collection and to allow self-hauling.
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi noted that the increase on a $17-dollar-a-month trash bill, with the increase, would raise it to $17 dollars and 70 cents. Mayor Pat Crew said it seemed like rates had been changed before and asked if this is an annual occurrence.
Molinelli said normally it is a Consumer Price Index increase, but this 25 percent increase is significant, and we have never had this much of an increase in a dump fee before.
Councilman Keith Sweet said the franchise agreement with ACES includes a regular review of costs. He also urged ACES, when they notify customers of their rate increase to also notify customers of their opportunity to have a senior discount. Molinelli said he would do that.
In public comment, Judy Jebian said she has a small amount of trash, while the rest is sent as recycling, and green waste, and she assumed ACES got money for it.
Molinelli said they currently get $21 dollars a ton for recycling. He said even though customers pay for the recycling program, ACES must pay $17 dollars a ton to get rid of green waste at Vicini Brothers, which gets what they can for selling it.
Kam Merzlak said the value was better than the cost of driving to the landfill, and the recycling charge is far less than the trash charge.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
