Hearing Set For Proposed Lakeland Village Trash Fee Hikes

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County supervisors Tuesday scheduled a May 8 public hearing to consider whether to increase fees for trash collection in unincorporated communities.

According to Department of Environmental Health Director Steve Van Stockum, the four waste haulers under contract with the county -- Burrtec Waste, CR&R Inc., Desert Valley Disposal and Waste Management Inc. -- are seeking a 3.6 percent hike in fees to keep pace with inflation and cover higher landfill expenses.

Van Stockum characterized the adjustments as relatively small, adding an average 95 cents per month to residents' bills.

The Board of Supervisors revises refuse-retrieval rates virtually every year.

In 2015, a 0.7 percent hike became a hotly debated issue after several Mead Valley residents complained to the board that Waste Management was tacking extra charges onto their bills after their properties were designated "hard-to-serve," even though the homes were not on hillsides or in isolated locations.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries demanded answers from the company, and after errors were found, Waste Management reclassified more than 750 residences to remove the additional cost burdens.

Waste collection for the county occurs in defined "franchise areas," which currently number 11 and encompass communities such as Cabazon, Desert Center, East Hemet, Lakeland Village, Thermal and Thousand Palms. Most of the existing franchise agreements have been in place for 20 years.

Inflationary adjustments to fees are based on fluctuations in the consumer price index for the Los Angeles metropolitan area between Jan. 1 and Dec. 30, 2017. Most residents pay between $18.64 and $34.24 per month for service, according to county officials.

The cost for commercial accounts ranges from $73.34 to $1,853.14 per month, and businesses are also in store for a 3.6 percent hike.

Account-holders are generally billed quarterly.

— By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock