Burlingame Faces Garbage Rate Increases

Burlingame may soon face higher garbage rates for the second year in a row. The City Council members were presented with a possible 25 percent increase in rates at their meeting Monday night and were asked to approve sending residents a notice regarding a public hearing on the matter scheduled for Jan. 17, 2012 in accordance with Proposition 218.

No action will be taken on the issue until after a public hearing, but few options beyond raising rates seem available, according to information presented by the Burlingame Finance Director, Jesus Nava. As a member of the 12-city South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA), Burlingame must pay certain expenses and abide by certain requirements.

“The only other option is that we really have to get a better handle as to what those expenses are going to be into the future,” said Nava. He also said if the council members fail to raise rates, they would still need to find a way to pay Recology, the garbage service provider for the SBWMA since 2010.

The 25 percent increase is necessary for three reasons. Ten percent is for the increased costs of waste and recycling collection in 2012, including costs associated with the SBWMA. Another 10 percent will make up for shortfalls in revenue from 2011. At the time, Burlingame instituted a 17 percent increase in rates. However, Burlingame had a 2011 revenue shortfall of $798,494. The final five percent will cover variations in service subscriptions, which customers can modify based on their waste needs. Garbage collection for smaller bins is provided at a cheaper rate, so lost revenue must be taken into account.

“Both the expenditure and revenue numbers lead you to 25 percent,” said Nava.

However, councilmembers expressed concern over the increase.

“I do find it frustrating that we increased this 17 percent this past year and now we’re looking at a 25 percent increase,” said Councilmember Ann Keighran. She noted that part of the cost was going towards a new waste and recycling facility that Burlingame voted against.

Vice Mayor Jerry Deal was similarly upset that Burlingame was paying for joint decisions it disagreed with, when a two-thirds vote by SBWMA members or millions of dollars is necessary to leave the group.

“When we tried to get out of it, in effect we were told you can’t get out of it,” he said. “It’s like we had a gun to our head, and now all of the sudden we’re getting all these rate increases.”

The councilmembers were also upset by the raised costs due to shortfalls in the previous year's calculations.

“You have to be able to forecast,” said Councilmember Michael Brownrigg. “You can’t just keep raising costs.”

Residents wishing to file protests against the rate increases can send them in sealed envelopes to 2011 Solid Waste Rates, City Clerk, City of Burlingame, 501 Primrose Rd., Burlingame, CA 94010 by 5 p.m. on Jan. 17. Protests must identify the property owned or rented by street address and assessor’s parcel number. Protests can also be presented at the public hearing that night. According to state law, the council cannot raise rates if a majority of ratepayers submit protests.