This is an increase from the current 50 percent requirement, which according to Amador County Waste Management Director Jim McHargue the county has met. McHargue states that the new round of discussions on a mandatory garbage collection policy for Amador county residents is happening because the county is trying to stay ahead of the curve by preparing for the future, which McHargue states will likely include more demands from the state on local governments for waste and recycling collections. “The real motivation includes the amount of roadside dumping occurring here in Amador County” states McHargue. He states that Butte County recently did a survey and discovered that 80 percent of roadside dumping came from non owner occupied single family rentals. Mandatory service could help with this situation by making the owners of rentals responsible for the garbage service of their tenants, or at least checking to make sure that the tenants have service and are maintaining it over the duration of their lease term.

Currently, the beginnings of a potential future policy are at the sub committee stage under the Regional Waste Management organization, the Amador County Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency. That Agency’s Board consists of Supervisors Richard Forster and Brian Oneto, as well as Sutter Creek City Councilman Tim Murphy, Jackson City Councilman Al Nunes, Plymouth City Councilman Jon Colburn, Ione City Councilwoman Andrea Bonham Radogna, and Amador City- City Councilman Kirk Lindsey. Once the local Integrated Board’s subcommittee makes their recommendation to the full Integrated Solid Waste Management Board then the policy will move to the Board of Supervisors for their review.

McHargue states that the group is working toward a fair policy that addresses the greater issues that this subject matter includes- matters like a current state law which does require garbage be removed from any property weekly as well as future laws that will definitely impact how Amador County residents take care of their waste collection and disposal. Are Amador County Waste Haulers ready for the increase in business? According to ACES Waste Services Managing Partner Paul Molinelli, Jr, ACES is up to the task. Molinelli states that he has been consulting with the Regional Integrated Board subcommittee as they work on the draft ordinance. Molinelli states that this policy could be good news for Amador County consumers. The ordinance will fill routes where currently a truck may service two houses on a several mile stretch. “For every two houses we serve on some routes, we pass 10” states Molinelli. And although Molinelli states there is no guarantee that mandatory service will immediately lower costs, it will allow the hauler to spread the costs of pick up over more customers therefore lessening the impacts of future rate adjustments due to economic factors such as fuel. Molinelli states that the sub committee is “looking at perhaps a phased in approach, and exceptions for people that self haul and those that have no waste because of complex recycling efforts.”