The City of Ukiah City Council (“City”) has adopted Solid Waste collection rate schedule adjustments for a five-year period.
The City of Ukiah City Council (“City”) adopted increases in the monthly solid waste collection and disposal (solid waste) rates applicable to all parcels in the City of Ukiah, including the parcel for which you are shown as the property owner of record based on the County of Mendocino 2016/17 Secured Tax Roll, and/or at which you are shown as the customer billed for solid waste service. The rate increases will be reflected on utility bills dated on or after January 1, 2018, and for bills issued on or after January 1, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The Amount of the Fee Imposed on Each Parcel:
The adopted rates, as of January 2018, are outlined in the links below. During the next four years, including January 2019, January 2020, January 2021, and January 2022 the rates may increase or decrease based on the following changes to indexes and pass-through costs: (1) the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, “Water and Sewer and Trash Collection Services” (“CPI”) over the previous year June over June, (2) the percentage change, June over June of the previous year, in the Energy Information Administration Petroleum & Other Liquids index over the base year ending June 30, 2015, (3) any changes to the gate fee at the Ukiah Transfer Station, (4) any changes to costs paid by the franchisee to process recyclables, and (5) changes in regulatory fees, all in accordance with the Contract for Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Garbage, Refuse and Rubbish and Recycling of Recyclable Materials from within the City of Ukiah (“Waste Collection Contract”) between the City and Ukiah Waste Solutions, Inc., a private company. After the January 2018 rate increase, the rates will automatically increase or decrease each year in accordance with the Waste Collection Contract, which will be available for inspection at the Civic Center.
The following table indicates the adopted monthly solid waste service rates for each parcel in the City of Ukiah, beginning January 1, 2017.
The Reason for and Basis Upon Which the Fee Increase was Calculated:
Ukiah Waste Solutions (UWS), the City’s franchised solid waste collector, has requested rate increases pursuant to Section 6.5 of the Waste Collection Contract based on cost increases and revenue decreases which are solely the result of extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of UWS that it could not have been reasonably anticipated and which unavoidably adversely affect its opportunity to operate at a reasonable profit. The rate increases identified in Schedule A were calculated after considering the franchisee’s rate request, studying the reviewed financial statements and carefully evaluating the changes in costs to meet regulatory requirements, the recycling market, transportation, and other operating costs of Ukiah Waste Solutions for the year ending December 31, 2016 and two quarters ending June 30, 2017. Further detail on how these rates were calculated is available below.
Access Fee:
The solid waste access rate is a charge that all City residential utility customers pay that opt out of using the solid waste services. The access rate is being adjusted from $5.25 to $10. This rate is being adjusted to reflect the true cost to have the service immediately available to the customer, to encourage participation so that proper diversion and disposal takes place. This rate exists to achieve the objectives of removing material from each residential property, which are to avoid health problems, avoid rodent infestation, avoid nuisance odors, protect resale property values, and comply with State of California mandated diversion rates.
Low Income Senior Subsidy Program:
Implementation plans are currently under development, including methods of marketing the program to any eligible low-income senior who may or may not be enrolled in the City’s Public Benefit Electric Utility Program. Those who are enrolled in the Electric Public Benefit Plan will be enrolled automatically in the proposed solid waste program.
