RivCo Board Sets Hearing on Proposed Rubbish Collection Fee Hikes

By City News Service:

The Board of Supervisors this week scheduled an April 28 hearing on proposed increases to rates charged for trash collection in unincorporated communities throughout Riverside county, prompting calls from several residents for a closer inspection of the desired adjustments and their impact on ratepayers’ pocketbooks.

“This is something that needs to be looked into,” Debbie Walsh told the supervisors. “The increase is quite substantial, especially for the elderly and poor. They can’t haul their trash to a landfill, so the only option is trash service. This increase is way beyond what it should be.”

Walsh’s Mead Valley neighbor Brett Holstrom agreed, telling the board “rate hikes are very difficult” for her and others to afford.

“We’re dealing with a pretty much non-responsive waste hauler in our area,” she said. “I think the contract needs to be re-bid. There are all kinds of problems. We want to be present at the table, along with you and the service providers, to figure out how to organize (collection) services.”

According to county Department of Environmental Health Director Steve Van Stockum, the four waste haulers under contract with the county are seeking a .7 percent hike in fees to keep pace with inflation over the last year. Van Stockum characterized the increase as small, adding an average 20 cents per month onto residents’ bills.

The board adjusts refuse retrieval rates virtually every year. In the past, adjustments have been as high as 2 or 3 percent.

Waste collection for the county occurs in what are known as “franchise areas,” which currently number 13 and encompass communities such as Cabazon, Desert Center, East Hemet, Lakeland Village, San Jacinto, Thermal and Thousand Palms. Residents are generally billed quarterly for collection service.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries expressed sympathy with Walsh’s complaint that one hauler, Waste Management Inc., had misclassified some service zones as “hard-to-serve” based on terrain and isolation. The hard-to-serve customers pay a premium for rubbish collection, he said, noting the difference can be as much as $27 higher per quarter than what residents in established communities pay.

Jeffries said Waste Management should “fix” its classification formula and suggested he would not vote to approve a rate increase on April 28 without an explanation from the company.

Supervisor John Benoit also expressed reservations, telling Van Stockum that the Department of Environmental Health should “make sure the rates are appropriate” prior to the next hearing.

Van Stockum acknowledged the board’s concerns and promised “answers” by the time of the hearing.

(Image via Shutterstock)