Redwood City set to hike garbage rates

One of the main reasons why rates are set to rise is that they were initially set lower for 20- and 32-gallon carts to promote recycling and composting, with about 85% of residents getting smaller bins. However, South Bayside Waste Management Authority and HF&H consultants, contracted by the city, suggested an increase to all bins to meet the total estimated costs for solid waste collection. The city is one of 11 member agencies of SBWMA, or RethinkWaste.

The revenue requirement for the city, calculated by RethinkWaste is about $26 million. Public Works Superintendent Adrian Lee said SBWMA and HF&F estimated a $3 million shortfall if no change was made to the rates. Beginning Jan. 1, SBWMA also entered into a new contract with South Bayside Industries, responsible for disposal and processing of solid waste, that resulted in a 25% increase in operating costs. 

The hike was initially proposed to be a $12 a month but the city’s balancing account with Recology had a surplus of over $1 million from prior years and will be used to “buy down” the required rate increase. 

“By depleting our balancing account we’re able to reduce the proposed rate from $12 a month down to $7,” Lee said.

Lee presented the current and proposed rates, as compared to nearby cities, suggesting that 20- and 32-gallon bin subscription rates remains below the average rate of $38.17 and $46.50, respectively. Subscriptions for 64- and 96-gallon bins would be slightly above the average rate of nearby cities following the increase. 

Help with rates

Vice Mayor Lissette Espinoza-Garnica, who is a part of the utilities subcommittee, said these increases are extremely necessary but hopes residents take advantage of support systems in place to help with costs. 

“We either end up with sewer at our ankles or not,” Espinoza-Garnica said. “One priority that we had, for sure, was creating more assistance because we know that, hearing from the public, that there is a lot of concern about livability, being able to make ends meet.”

Espinoza-Garnica hopes the Utilities Rate Assistance Program will be able to help whoever is in need. The program provides a monthly credit on bills for water, sewer and solid waste services for households that qualify. For solid waste, the credit is based on bin size, but will respectively see a $5 increase in benefit amount concurrently with the newly approved solid waste rates. 

Though appreciative of efforts to avoid drastic increases in a short period of time, Mayor Jeff Gee said he would like to see longer term projections in utility rates. 

“I think we owe it to everyone to show what we’re thinking about in ‘25, ‘26, ‘27, five years out, so everyone can plan and we can plan too if we need to increase the URAP program or come up with another program to help our residents,” Gee said. “Doing this one year at a time is not good enough for me. I want to make sure we’re looking and being able to tell every body we’re planning ahead, here’s what’s coming, and this is what we’re going to do to help ease the pain.”

City assistance?

An emailed public comment from resident Chris Robell, read aloud by City Clerk Yessika Castro, expressed a desire for more significant financial support from the city. 

“The city has never discussed any cost reduction effort and instead uses tax payers as ATM machines,” the email read. “Please consider forming a city cost reduction sub-committee with representatives from the community and perhaps council to identify creative ways of lowering city expenses without impacting the essential services to residents.”

Councilmembers and Lee affirmed that there will be future increases but efforts have been made to ease into them. The SBWMA Board of Directors allocated a one-time fund of $481,046 to the city from its rate stabilization reserve used to assist member agencies. The city is also deferring $348,006 owed to Recology until the following year through the “cap-carry forward” provision made in the contract. 

“We’ll still have to increase rates next year, but the idea is that want to smooth it out as much as possible,” Lee said. “No one likes increased rates, but we want to try to minimize the shock.”