• Look For Higher Trash Rates

Before you say that you didn't see this coming...

I recognize that many people have more pressing things to do than keep up with the issues regarding what happens with their trash after it's been picked up, I was the same way until about 10 years ago.

Then something would hit me in the wallet (a rate hike due to an unfunded mandate) and I'd perk up.

Our garbage has to go somewhere.

Playing the blame game doesn't help anyone, but if you're looking for the root cause of the increases please direct your gaze northward to Sacramento. 

For a VERY long time Sacramento has been putting the squeeze on how we can throw out our trash, whether you care about it or not. After years of revving up for this, the start date finally came.

I'm not here to argue the merits of the intentions (which we all know that the road to hell is paved with good ones), I'm just letting you know that your trash rates will be going up at some point in the not too distant future.

Trash Getting Expensive –

 The State (via Senate Bill 1383, passed in 2016) is mandating that cities and counties implement new trash collection standards specifically for food/organic waste. Once fully implemented, many of us could have yet another trash bin at the curb for discarded food and other non-recyclable organic waste. 

The local trash haulers are under the gun to put together their food pick up plan and to tell the cities and counties exactly how much more they want (or need) to increase our monthly rates in order to accomplish this statewide mandate. 

Any city or county that fails to implement the new plan will receive substantial fines from the State. Details are all pending but stayed tuned!

Link to Supervisor Kevin Jeffries Newsletter.

This was discussed at the December city council meeting, and I was a little taken aback when CR&R's Alex Braicovich said that there would be no rate increases since several years ago, to accommodate SB 1383, there was said to be a minimum $2 increase if the city had signed a deal several years ago.

It was asked, "With this adjustment in service is there a price increase to cover it? For commercial or residential?" 

"In this particular instance we're proposing no increase on the residential rate payer. There will be a rate adjustment later on in the year to address the 1383 requirements, as mentioned by Mr. Riley (Wildomar's City Treasurer). There are a number of requirements that 1383 is bringing on board. Those will be addressed at that time. There will be no increase to the residential customers."

I followed up with, "No increase as of the first of the year, but probably at the fiscal year."

Mr. Braicovich responded, "At the fiscal year what we're contemplating is the regular CPI adjustment." 

The exchange can be found at the 2:03:00 mark in this video link.

My goal is to get accurate information to the public, not play gotcha. So, before publishing this blog I reached out to CR&R's Alex Braicovich again. 

Below is the email exchange.

 WR  Before publishing the blog, I just want to run it by you first to confirm that there will be no residential rate increases beyond the normal CPI adjustment. or if the above needs a clarification.

 AB  Our plan is to only pass through our regular annual CPI for residential effective July 1, 2022. 

CPI will be higher this year due to higher inflation which is reflected in our increase costs. 

Our goal has always been to minimize residential cost increase even with all these new requirements brought on by SB 1383. 

We will be asking for CPI plus an additional amount on commercial and industrial. We communicated this plan to staff months ago and we plan to honor that commitment.

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I was happy to hear that the plan is to not ask for more than the CPI (Consumer Price Index) adjustment for residential customers even with the added burden of SB 1383. 

We'll have to see how significant that ends up being considering how steep inflation has been over the last year.

Also, this is where it's time to take a page from President Reagan's playbook, "Trust, but verify". 

I had an email into Waste Management's counterpart, but I didn't get a response before publishing this blog.

Link to 2016 blog where this first surfaced.