Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home City Council last week held the first reading of a proposed ordinance allowing Sweet Home Sanitation to raise its rates by 2.4 percent.
The rate change will increase by 55 cents per month the cost of the most popular service, a 35-gallon trash can, for both residential and commercial customers. The current rate is $22.35 per month. The proposed rate is $22.90.
The proposed price for the 90-gallon service would increase from $27.70 per month to 28.25. The 20-gallon can would increase from $11.10 to $11.35 per month.
The rate increase is necessary to keep up with the cost of doing business, said Scott Johnson, division vice president. The costs include insurance, labor and utilities. Even with the rate increase, the company will need to operate more efficiently.
The company is trying to increase rates a little at a time instead of making large increases less frequently to make them easier on customers, said Site Manager Brian Hoffman.
In addition to rising costs, Sweet Home Sanitation faces a loss of revenue, a $20,000 swing in a single year, for recycling.
The commodities market where Sweet Home Sanitation sells its recyclable materials have fallen, Hoffman said. Instead of being paid for recyclable materials, “it’s costing us to remove it.”
A 2.4-percent increase is justified and fair, Hoffman said. “We believe we’ve been very responsible with efficiencies.”
Hoffman and Johnson submitted a list of rate comparisons, including eight other cities – Sherwood, Creswell, Silverton, Albany, Woodburn, Stayton, Brookings and Astoria.
Among them, Sweet Home’s proposed rate is the lowest for a 20-gallon can at $11.35 per month. The next lowest is in Creswell at $14.25 per month. The highest is $21.52 in Sherwood, followed by $21.25 in Silverton.
For a 32-gallon can, the lowest rate is Albany at $17.85 per month. Creswell is at $19.25 and Brookings at $21.63. The other cities have higher rates than Sweet Home’s proposed rate, which is $22.90. The highest is in Stayton, $24.50 per month.
For 90-gallon cans, Albany is lowest at $28.08 per month. Sweet Home’s proposed rate is $28.25. The highest rate is $64.89 in Brookings. Most are between $30 and $40.
Creswell and Astoria do not have yard debris service.
Present at the meeting were councilors Marybeth Angulo, Ryan Underwood, Greg Mahler, Mayor Jim Gourley, Bruce Hobbs, Dave Trask and Jeff Goodwin.
The council will hold the second reading of the ordinance on June 23. The third reading will be July 7. After the third reading, the council may take action on the ordinance proposal.
In other business, the councilauthorized city staff to apply for a Transportation and Growth Management Program Grant through the Division of State Lands and Oregon Department of Transportation.
The city has budgeted $120,000 to update its Transportation System Plan. The council adopted the current plan in 2005.
“Since its adoption, significant changes have occurred within the city,” said Planning Services Manager Laura LaRoque. “Development plans have changed in size and scope. Design standards are out of date, and many capital and planning projects have been completed.”
Research, analysis and public input funded by a grant will help the city make difficult decisions regarding new investments and changes to city code, LaRoque said. The decisions made as part of the project will guide the development of the plan update, resulting in new projects and cost estimates; provide suggested refinements to the Comprehensive Plan and development code; and inform the city’s capital projects priorities.