TITLE
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record; receive public comment pursuant to Proposition 218; direct City Clerk to tabulate the written protests and report the results of the tabulation to the Mayor and City Council during the August 23, 2022 hearing; and, if a “majority protest” is not established, conclude the public hearing and adopt resolution establishing the Solid Waste Service Rates under a two-step rate adjustment. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach (City) last raised refuse and recycling rates for cost of service on October 1, 2019. Since then, the costs associated with solid waste collection operations have dramatically increased for many reasons. SERRF disposal costs per ton have grown 10 percent since October 2019, and City staff anticipates continued cost increases in the coming years. The general costs of maintaining a fleet are also increasing. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, the City is adding eight refuse trucks to provide collection of organics at commercial accounts.
Additionally, over the past few years, the State has enacted legislation increasing each city’s requirement to recycle and provide waste diversion programs. In response to these and other requirements, the Department of Public Works (Public Works) is currently working towards implementing a plan that will satisfy all of the State’s requirements. This plan will develop a path for the City’s compliance with current and upcoming legislation including, but not limited to, Assembly Bill (AB) 341 (mandatory commercial and multi-family recycling and sets a statewide 70 percent diversion target), AB 2176 (large venue and special event recycling), AB 1826 (commercial organics recycling), and SB 1383 (short-lived climate pollutants: organics methane emissions reductions).
In April 2021, Public Works retained Hilton, Farnkopf, and Hobson Consultants, LLC (HF&H), to conduct a comprehensive Cost of Service Study (Study) for refuse, recycling and commer...
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