Amador County – Local waste service representatives sought the Board of Supervisors approval Tuesday for the mailing of Proposition 218 protest notices regarding proposed rate increases. Amador County’s two major waste disposal companies - ACES Waste Services and Amador Disposal Service/Waste Connection, Inc., or ADS - submitted written requests in June for refuse collection rate increases they were forced to make due to corrections in the Refuse Rate Index Calculation, a standard rate index. As required by the California Constitution, the Board of Supervisors are required to hold a public hearing on the proposed increases not less than 45 days after written notice of the increase has been mailed to subject property owners. The proposed increases will be submitted by mail to approximately 900 ADS customers for protest at a calculated increase of 3.91 percent. Aces Waste Services will mail notices to approximately 5,200 customers. The calculated rate increase for Aces Franchise Area 2 is 4.83 percent. Aces Franchise area 3 was calculated to see a 10.27 percent increase, although Aces co-owner Paul Molinelli, Sr., made a verbal request at the June 24th Public Works Committee meeting to reduce that to 7.75 percent. “Considering the times, we though we shouldn’t go to double digits,” said Molinelli. ADS has been suffering under the weight of the current economic crisis and has had to give up customers as a result. According to Guy Davis, Site Manager for ADS, the company recently had to “withdraw from Ione because we were operating at a loss.” Aces Waste, on the other hand, has been expanding. The Sutter Creek City Council in April agreed to let its contract with ADS expire due to conflicts and “various customer service complaints” and award a new trash and recycling franchise contract to ACES Waste Service, keeping the contract local with better rates for customers. Aces also took over operations in Ione. Jim McHargue, Amador’s Solid Waste Program Manager, recommended the Supervisors approve mailing of the Prop. 218 protest notices. The Supervisors approved the motion unanimously. A public hearing on the matter was set for September 15 at 10:30 am. Story by Alex Lane. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.