On Tuesday, Oregon’s Washington County commissioners unanimously approved a rate increase for garbage and recycling haulers, who say they face higher prices to fuel their trucks, to insure their employees and to dump at local landfills. Price tags for residential, commercial and rural garbage services will rise next year, while a reduction in the cost to dispose of medical waste will take effect immediately.
The rates, which were last increased on June 1, 2001, were recommended to the board by the county's Department of Health & Human Services and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, a group of residents and garbage haulers.
For the typical residential 32-gallon can or cart, the cost will increase by 35 cents to $19.65 a month; 20-gallon containers will increase by 15 cents to $18.06 ; 60-gallon containers will increase by 50 cents to $28.51; and 90-gallon containers will increase by 60 cents to $33.72.
Rural rates will increase by the same amounts to $16.13 a month for 20-gallon cans or carts, $17.50 for 32 gallons, $26.26 for 60 gallons and $31.20 for 90 gallons.
And the folks who regularly pile so much trash in their can that the lid won't close will be charged $2.75 for exceeding weight limits. Bounced check fees will increase from $16.50 to $25, and fees to reinstate service will jump from $10 to $25.
In addition, monthly charges on urban and rural commercial containers, which vary in capacity from one to eight yards, will increase by $1.16 a yard. As the number of rural customers with such containers is low and spread across the county, officials say that service becomes costly. That means an additional charge of $2 a week, or an average of $10 a month, for those customers.
However, county officials say medical waste collection rates will go down for hospitals and clinics that load their own trailers. That price could drop by $2 to $3, depending on the size of the containers. – The Oregonian