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County approves 97% increase in Los Osos garbage rates

March 22, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve a 97.61% increase in garbage rates in Los Osos, a community that has seen hikes in water, sewer, gas and electric bills.

Los Osos rate payers had 45 days to send in written letters protesting the rate increase. If a majority of rate payers – 2,704 – had submitted a written protest to SLO County Administration before the hearing, the rates would not go up.

However, only 1,158 residents sent in written protest letters.

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 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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When a company has a monopoly and forced compliance it is a recipe for disaster. Reminds me a some countries. As a company what incentive do you have to reduce costs when every time you need more money you can just request a rate increase, knowing customers have no options and the chance of being denied is very low. Long past time to allow competition which could reduce costs and allow options for the customers, such as opting out of service, bi-monthly or monthly pickups, centralized collection option, basically just more options and that certainly can not be a bad thing. To encourage a company to start service officials can have a auto switch over with a required opt-out requirement. If it workered for CCE why not garbage service.


5

The wasteful Cambria CSD (CCSD) approved a massive increase in garbage rates from @$50 a month to over $100 a month. The CCSD politicians spend ratepayer money like crazy. They are out of control.


7

How much would you charge to pick up big bins of peoples trash and haul it to the dump once a week?


-3

So what does it mean in dollars and cents? If it’s currently $20 monthly that increase puts it at under $40.


-6

In states other than California and not in New York …trash dumps are open 24/7 no employees are present , a person dumps their trash and leaves ….Each property owner pays 10.00 a month 120.00 a year on their property taxes for use of the dump …. A person hardly ever sees trash furniture etc etc dumped on sides of roads or fields ….those same states also do not charge CRV etc deposit fees on cans and bottles ….California’s CRV program has been in the red for decades , due to cans and bottles hauled into California by the millions from other states ….almost all recycled bottles and cans in California end up buried in a landfill ….In California and New York etc etc trash is a major revenue generator


12

Not true. There absolutely is weekly garbage pick up in other states. And lots of places they charge more than they do in San Luis Obispo. And you can still find trash dumped on the side of the road. It’s not just California and New York. Ever been to Florida? Texas? Get real please.


-7

Great Guy , I have owned multiple properties for almost a decade now in a state outside of California. I gladly pay the 10.00 a month / 120.00 per year garbage dump fees on my yearly property tax on each property I own .. I dump trash when I want , I can dump trash everyday 10 times a day 24 hours a day 7 days week …no human there to hassle me no major sorting needed.Furniture is stacked in 1 place garbage dumped in another place etc etc… It cracks me up to see people in California sorting into all the different cans , then on top of that California people pay garbage company for a separate can for which they place recyclables …which garbage company sells ….so garbage company reaps triple profit on recyclables ….Many Garbage companies all over USA were criminal mafia owned companies up to mid 90s , at that period of time mafia left the garbage business for the most part ….it was convenient method for mafia to pick up and deliver illegal products and an excellent outlet for them to dispose of dead human bodies ….It now appears the new age garbage business is a new generation of mafia I.E. Garbage companies and cities , counties etc etc have joined ranks to fleece the hardworking people of USA …


2

The criminals have gone legitimate, they are now incorporated and work under the flag of Statehood, Countyhood, Cityhood, etc. Yes, there ARE good and honest employees (the public needs to know them) but when you challenge local government they use your tax dollars to fight back. I will even be so bold to say that they potentially have the courts on their side since they share the same funding source, your taxes and you. I was once told by an appellant court judge-friend, now deceased, “if YOU want a fair trial you need to be heard outside the reach of this local court”. Really, and how many individuals can afford that? I will be honest, careful and take that truth to my grave. Mafia is an obsolete M work and yes Water, Sewage and Trash are cash cows harnessed by all levels of government.


1

This why your vote/voice count obviously the people in Los Osos didn’t think it mattered to voice their views or just enjoy paying more for everything. I always grin a little when all these rate hikes on elect,gas,etc. is justified so the company will recoup their higher costs but when it comes to the wages of the people to do the same it never happens. So how much will Los Osos be paying for Garbage pickup I think you should of put that in to tell whole story


8

“Ooooo! C’mon everybody! Let’s all move to Los Osos, where it’s cheap to live because hardly anyone is here! We can build big schools for our kids, and a supermarket, and fast food places, and a sewer plant, so we can live just like the crap hole we left!!”


“Waddya mean you’re raising our rates because there’s too many people living here, and the infrastructure can’t handle it!?”


-11