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Garbage rates slated to increase 97% in Los Osos

February 14, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

Los Osos residents are facing a 97.61% increase in their garbage rates, in a community that has seen large increases in water, sewer, gas and electricity bills.

While trash rates throughout the state are increasing because of new regulations regarding food waste and increased gas prices, the Los Osos’ proposed rate expansion is more than double average local garbage rate increases.

In explaining the proposed rate hike, Mission Country Disposal pointed at increased operating costs. These include costs to replace vehicles to conform with California’s new emission standards, cost to process food and green waste at the anaerobic digestion facility near San Luis Obispo, and higher labor and gas costs.

In San Luis Obispo County, rates in some areas are slated to increase from 3.3% to 22%, while other residents will have their rates increase by more than 90%.

Factors such as the selected management authority, where food waste is processed, and the contracted trash hauler make huge differences in planned rate increases.

For example, Los Osos works with the SLO Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA), which tacks on an additional 5.5% to all bills to cover their costs. Those affiliated with the IWMA are given a cookie cutter approach, in which all residents are required to segregate food waste in a special container, with most haulers transporting the food waste to an anaerobic digestion facility located south of the city of San Luis Obispo.

In comparison, Santa Margarita works with SLO County, which charges an additional 2% to cover its costs, less than half the cost of working with the IWMA.

In addition, the county worked to exempt rural residents from the food waste requirement. As a result, in Santa Margarita the rates are expected to increase by about 20%, with residents exempted from the food waste requirement, as they are not affiliated with the IWMA.

And while haulers in Los Osos transport food and green waste to the anaerobic digestion facility, Santa Margarita and Templeton’s trash hauler – Mid-State Solid Waste – transports food waste to a much cheaper compost center in Creston.

Los Osos customers were recently alerted to the nearly 100% proposed increase to their their garbage bills. The notice gave those impacted a chance to protest the increase ahead of a public hearing on March 21.

If a majority of rate payers submit a written protest to San Luis Obispo County Administration before the hearing, the rates will not go up.

In order to allow Mission Country Disposal to recoup losses because of higher costs during the past two years, rates will increase by 97.61% on April 1, 2023, according to the proposed rate hike. The rate of increase will then drop to 88.37% on Dec. 31, 2023.


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Total mismanagement. I put my “trash” out every 7-8 weeks. Why am I paying to have the trash truck come by every week? It’s just another company increasing their profits off of a basic need of residents. I’m sure the trash company got its ideas from the gas company, who magically tripled ( that’s 300%) the price of natural gas; 300% increase makes a 97% seem like a good deal.


12

Time to dump IWMA, get, or create a local residents owned vendor.


9

“in which all residents are required to segregate food waste in a special container, “


What in tarnation? In Slo we just put food scraps in the green bin with the weeds, they gave out little buckets for food scraps as a promo but it gets dumped into the green bin.


3

Lets look at the shear stupidity of this whole program, there are now 4 different trucks running around the neighborhood, garbage, green waste,recycle, and now food waste, does anyone not stop to think of all the excess wear and tear on the streets, the enviroment, the noise polution, the waste of fuel,plus most people put anything they want in any can so whats the use of this, these government programs are nothing but a waste of taxpayer dollars.


16

Remember when Los Osos was a cute small town, that nobody really wanted to live in, because of bad water, septic systems, really crappy streets and roads, no shopping, and only one bar?


They even had their very own landfill, just off Turri Rd., that easily accommodated the waste from a small town.


Thank you, big city refugees that left the city, but brought it with you!


28

Pro-active or Re-active costs, it doesn’t matter to the homeless. They do not comply with health or trash standards. Factually, our County Public Works operating dollars fund the feral human population needs. One would think these humans would rather have conforming living accommodations, wrong! Although some do, the prerequisite to be compliant is a no go, while many others simply prefer their feral existence. Then again there is the 100’s of millions of dollars funded in this “local” industry that one might question the desire for a real fix. There are other similar contradictions like the prison industry, drug enforcement industry and on, all funded by your taxes. Forget a judgmental stance, just look at these examples as your check book.


17

I guess one or more managers at the IWMA have some home remolding, plastic surgery, vacations, or other personal expenses to pay for.


29

Another example of business’s being able to hike up rates to cover inflation and Ca save the planet rules that nobody else does but the ratepayer can’t get a pay raise to cover it so they get hosed again


63

Send letter to protest rate increase to county administration. Include your property accessment number. Right away as deadline for them to consider it March 21.

San Luis Obispo County Administration

Room D430

1055 Monterey Street

San Luis Obispo CA 93408


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