The Soledad City Council unanimously approved instituting new garbage collection and disposal rates effective July 1. The 3.41-percent rate increase translates to an additional $1.43 monthly charge for the average residential customer.
“This is already part of a five-year contractual agreement and the adjustments are already included and will change and modify every year,” said Mayor Anna Velazquez at the June 10 council meeting. “We’re not doing anything different from what was already approved last year.”
This rate increase reflects adjustments mandated by Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (SVSWA) fees, and increments to the city’s franchise fees. It aligns with the city’s long-standing franchise agreement with Tri-Cities Disposal and Recycling Services Inc. (TCDR), securing waste management services through June 30, 2035.
Under the terms of the agreement, TCDR is entitled to an annual increase effective July 1 of each year on its collection services rates based on the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The 3.41-percent total increase is made up of 1.81 percent for TCDR’s contractual CPI increase, 1.05 percent for SVSWA’s disposal, organics processing and Assembly Bill 939 diversion program fees, and 0.55 percent for the city’s incremental increases to its franchise fees.
AB 939 diversion program fees are specific charges levied by California cities and counties to fund state-mandated recycling, composting and solid waste reduction programs. The fees are tied to the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which requires local jurisdictions to actively divert solid waste from landfills.
Soledad residents with a 48-gallon cart will pay $43.42 monthly compared to the current $41.99 and those with a 64-gallon cart will pay $66.46 monthly compared to the current $64.25.