West Hollywood, California (Monday, July 21, 2008) - On tonight’s West Hollywood City Council agenda stands a potentially controversial issue – whether to pass increased trash recycling costs onto the businesses that support WeHo some 41 percent over the next four years. 
Athens Services is seeking a four year extension of contract and a 40 percent increase in coimmercial trash removal rates. Photo By Athens Services. WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
At the same time, the city will also decide whether or not to extend Athens Services’ contract for trash removal for another four years – to 2016.
The sharp price increase stems from “changed conditions causing rising costs for provision of the food waste composting program,” according to the staff report.
The stated goal of these moves is to increase “the City's diversion rate, [which] could increase from the existing 56 percent to approximately 61 percent by maintaining the food waste program.”
A diversion rate is the amount of trash that is recycled rather than dumped into a landfill.
The La Puente landfill, into which WeHo’s un-recycled trash is currently left, will close in 2013.
Athens Services is seeking a four year extension of contract and a 40 percent increase in coimmercial trash removal rates. Photo By Athens Services. WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
The agreement would leave businesses who currently participate in free collection of source separated recyclables to continue with this service with no change.
Additionally, there would be no change in cost of collecting already separated recyclables from multi-unit residential parcels.
The plan intends to increase what is known as Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) processing of the commercial waste stream from 50 percent to 1oo percent.
The MFR separates and recycles commercial business’s waste, commonly paper, at Athens’ plant.
According to the staff report, “Athens Services has stated they are willing to phase in the 41% rate increase for commercial customers over a period of 4 years” to lighten the burden of increased cost on local businesses.
Athens Services is seeking a four year extension of contract and a 40 percent increase in coimmercial trash removal rates. Photo By WeHo News - West Hollywood’s ONLY Newspaper, ONLY ONLINE! |
The increase would be made in increments of nine percent each year for 4 years, over and above the annual Consumer Price Index increase in each year.
Athens wants a contract extension to offsest their costs of applying the increase gradually.
Applying similar changes in recycling services for multi-unit residential units, however, will not be considered because of the unpredictability of residents’ compliance in self-separating trash into recyclables and non-recyclables.
If the city’s vast number of apartment and condo buildings was to be added to the program, they too would face a 40 percent increase in cost, which could not be transferred to tenants in rent controlled units.
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