Trash Collector Under Scrutiny Over Customer Charges

Ongoing concerns about a waste collector’s rates prompted the Riverside County Board of Supervisors this week to withhold approval for the company to adjust customer charges based on inflation.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries took the lead in blocking the rate hike requested by Waste Management Inc. Three other haulers, however, received the board’s authorization to increase their fees by .7 percent.

Department of Environmental Health Director Steve Van Stockum said the hike will amount to roughly 20 cents more per month on ratepayers’ bills.

During an April 7 public hearing on refuse collection charges, the board deferred action on the inflationary adjustment for all four waste haulers serving unincorporated communities after receiving complaints about one in particular -- Waste Management.

Several Mead Valley residents criticized the company for tacking extra charges onto their bills after their properties were designated “hard-to- serve.”

Jeffries agreed with the residents, saying the hard-to-serve classification was being applied unjustly in many -- but not all -- instances.

“I understand the theory that it costs more to reach houses scattered in the hills of La Cresta versus down in the flatlands where I live,” the supervisor said. “But in Mead Valley, they’re almost on a different planet dealing with Waste Management.”

Waste Management spokeswoman Carolyn Anderson appeared before the board to convey an official apology and acknowledge that the company had committed an “error,” wrongly identifying 689 customers as living in hard-to-serve locations.

“It was the result of poor geographic mapping,” Anderson said. “We have mailed letters to the affected customers. We’re making phone calls to them. We’re very, very sorry for this. We’ve done site surveys to determine whether residents do or don’t (meet the hard-to-serve definition).”

Jeffries pressed Anderson on whether the process had been “fixed” so that future misclassifications would not occur.

The Waste Management spokeswoman said it had, but after Mead Valley resident Debbie Walsh complained that her most recent bill had included the same billing code, even though she was not in an isolated community, Jeffries expressed skepticism about Anderson’s assurances.

Supervisor Chuck Washington was also unconvinced, saying he had the same reservations as he did when the matter was first addressed.

Anderson said she would be returning to the board to provide a more complete explanation of what had occurred and what Waste Management is doing to correct deficiencies. She asked anyone with billing issues or concerns to contact her personally at (626) 831-0588.

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.

Van Stockum said hard-to-serve customers pay $5 more per month. The base rate is currently around $20 per month. Residents are billed quarterly.

(Image via Shutterstock)