NEWS ALERT: Santa Monica Approves Increased Trash Hauling Rates
At its June 13th City Council meeting, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved adoption of a five-year schedule of increased rates for trash collection. The new rates will be effective on August 1st and will increase annually thereafter through July 1, 2027. For multi-family and commercial ratepayers, the Year One increase on August 1, 2023, is greater than the subsequent years and results in a 20.5% increase for properties with 4 units and a 23.5% increase for properties with 10 units (based on examples provided by City staff).
The justification given by staff for the substantial increases was that the City is eliminating the livable unit charges and water meter charges as well as folding in street sweeping services to create a single bundled rate, so that the City’s rate structure would be consistent among all customer types and align with solid waste industry standards. The increases for multi-family and commercial ratepayers in Year Two through Year Five will be e identical to those for single-family ratepayers at 11%. We encourage members who live or own properties in the City of Santa Monica to view the Rate Adjustment Table to see which rate increase is applicable to them (see below).
Increased rates will support two new programs: 1) Solid Waste Rate Assistance Program which will provide a 10% discount on rates for income-qualified customers, and 2) Community Cleanup Program staffed by volunteers with supplies and resources paid for by the City. It will also go towards “enhancing” the existing bulk item pickup program, street sweeping program, and zero waste education and outreach.
AAGLA advocated in opposition to the increases by submitting a formal comment letter arguing the increased rates will cause financial hardships customers, particularly mom-and-pop property rental property owners who are just now beginning to recover from nearly three years of lost rental income due to COVID-19 moratoriums. Instead, we urged the City Council to delay the proposed rate change for multifamily properties for at least 2 years and to forgo the higher rate being suggested based on the initiation of new and “enhanced” programs to allow rental housing providers and their renters time to adjust to the increased costs. We also suggested to the City Council that the increases be re-weighted, so that more of the increase is incurred in the later years.
AAGLA will continue to advocate for our members' interests and provide updates on any related actions by Staff and City Council that affect our members.
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This article is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions regarding your property or specific tenancies and the requirements of any local law changes described herein, please consult with an attorney.