La Mesa residents and business owners saw trash pickup fees rise in July
LA MESA La Mesa residents and businesses saw a bump in their trash pickup fees when they received their July bills Residents saw their bills go up from to per month while basic commercial bills increased from to per month In total residents will pay more per year and basic commercial customers will pay an additional a year for the next two years The change came after the La Mesa City Council unanimously approved rate increases in effect until June at a June meeting But even with the rate increase city staff unveiled La Mesa had the second-lowest residential rate for waste collection in San Diego County and the lowest commercial rate in the county I think the increase isn t a lot at all if you think about all the things they do stated City Councilmember Genevieve Suzuki With other council members she praised EDCO Disposal Corporation for its dedicated institution and group involvement EDCO the city s franchise waste hauler sent a request to the city in March to increase the rate for its refuse recycling and organic waste collection services The floundering international recycling realm plus efforts to comply with stricter organic waste diversion regulations from the state both contributed to rising garbage costs in California as the state tries to mitigate the environmental and state impact of waste disposal In comparison to the city of San Diego s drama around adding trash pickup fees the adoption of rate increases was relatively smooth Following a required notification sent to property owners days in advance of the hearing the city received protest letters far below the needed letters constituting a majority of affected property owners that would invalidate the rate adjustment The awareness of San Diego s formerly free trash pickup for homeowners spilled over into the protest letters Why do other jurisdictions and areas in San Diego County pay nothing and I pay to per month wrote Michael Beckert in May In June San Diego City Council instituted cost recovery disposal fees of per month the highest residential rate in the county Despite La Mesa having selected of the lowest waste disposal costs in the region locals still fear cost increases amid an uncertain business activity and rising inflation Majority protests were about affordability in general with complaints of high property taxes and increased power and water rates We are being smothered by higher costs wrote Nancy Burgess For low-income residents an additional per month might take away from food power and water budgets We are senior citizens living on fixed incomes and cannot afford any more rate increases wrote H Patrick Stewart EDCO has two discount programs for financially challenged residents over the age of which will remain in effect although those costs rose too The low-income senior rate increased to The Silver Bag Campaign for those seniors who do not generate an entire bin of trash each week will cost per bag an -cent increase from per bag
