Thousands of property owners in Goleta will see higher trash and recycling collection fees beginning next month.
The Goleta City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase monthly residential and commercial solid waste collection rates effective July 1.
The overall rate increase is 5.91% “due to inflation, increased trash disposal fees, and increased solid waste and environmental services program fees,” according to a report prepared by city staff.
A hearing is held by the City Council annually when the solid waste hauler, MarBorg Industries, requests a rate increase, Goleta officials said.
» Current monthly rates of $31.45 for a 35-gallon single-family residential customer will become $33.31 on July 1.
» Current monthly rates of $26.70 for a 35-gallon multifamily residential property owner will become $28.27 on July 1.
» Current monthly rates of $38.22 for a 35-gallon commercial service will become $40.48 on July 1.
» Current monthly rates of $769.09 for a three-cubic-yard bin for commercial customers (collected three times a week) will become $814.53 on July 1.
A resolution approved Tuesday calls for rate increases for commercial customers as well as single-family and multifamily residential customers with 65-gallon and 95-gallon service levels.
» Current monthly rates of $35.24 for a 65-gallon single-family residential service will become $37.32 on July 1, while rates of $29.77 for a multifamily residential service will become $31.53.
» Current monthly rates of $44.36 for a 65-gallon commercial service will become $46.98 on July 1.
» Current monthly rates of $40.71 for a 95-gallon single-family residential service will become $43.11 on July 1, and rates of $34.55 for a 95-gallon multifamily residential service will become $36.59.
» Current monthly rates of $51.99 for a 95-gallon commercial service will become $55.07 on July 1.
The Goleta City Council conducted a public hearing during the remote meeting.
In advance of the virtual meeting, the Proposition 218 process includes mailing a public notice to people affected by trash and recycling rate changes.
If protests against the rate increase are not received from a majority of property owners, according to city officials, then the Goleta City Council is authorized to impose the rate changes.
More than 8,900 notices were mailed to property owners in Goleta, but only eight protests in writing were submitted by the end of the public hearing.
At least 4,465 protests were required to defeat the rate increase, City Clerk Deborah Lopez said.
“We have received some complaint letters, and we hear them,” Goleta Councilman Kyle Richards said. “We don’t want to raise the rates any higher than we need to, and the rates that we are looking at here are only as much as we need to cover the cost of what we need to do as a result.”
The agenda item generated no live public comment.
All affected property owners are slated to receive a notice saying that the rate increase will be effective in 30 days, Goleta officials said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
