West Sacramento trash collection likely getting more expensive. But why?
West Sacramento residents will likely be paying more for waste collection services starting next summer.
That’s because the City is proposing a change in who picks up the trash now that a 10-year contract for service is expiring. For now, no matter which option is chosen, rates will go up.
Why?
“The City has not increased solid waste rates at the same pace (as the current provider) has increased its rates to the City,” read a city staff report. “This decision was made by the City-Manager’s Office in order to help residents and businesses endure and recover from the COVID pandemic. Therefore, the current rates charge to customers are artificially low.”
Monday evening, the City’s Environment and Utilities Commission will hold a public meeting to discuss and seek public comment on a recommendation to switch waste collection providers from USA Waste of California (WM) to GreenWaste Recovery.
The city’s staff report detailed how the city began a competitive procurement process to evaluate a new solid waste collection contract. That evaluation established a set of criteria to score three options: WM, GreenWaste Recovery and Atlas Disposal. Read the report here.
“The Panel concluded that (GreenWaste) demonstrated the best overall ability to meet the City’s needs,” read the report.
So, what does this mean for prices?
According to the report, if the City were to renew with the current provider, residential rates for container pickup would increase between 7.82% and 29.14%, depending on the size of the container.
Under GreenWaste, the same rates would increase between 22.29% and 40.53%.
The transition would also move the responsibility for billing customers from the City to the provider.
The City Council would still need to approve any new contract for waste collection services.
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