It will cost more to dump trash

The minimum price for dumping trash will increase $1 as part of an overall strategy to keep the county solid-waste program out of the red.

New “tipping fees” will apply to self-haulers and the program’s two commercial customers as well; the town of Friday Harbor and franchise-hauler San Juan Sanitation. The slated increase also applies to household appliances and hazard waste, and are as follows:

- Minium fee: up from $5 to $6.

- By volume and weight: approximately 6.6 percent increase.

- Appliances: $40 with refrigeration units and $15 without.

- Hazardous waste: 5 cents per pound.

- Commercial haulers: $160 per unit.

Faced with an estimated $300,000 shortfall in operating revenue, county commissioners opted for an across-the-board rate hike that’s expected to generate roughly $500,000 more in fees than the program produced two years ago. The solid-waste program earned $1.7 million through fees, grants, an excise tax and the sale of recyclables in 2001. It was the first year the program disposed of 10,000-plus tons of trash.

In a split decision, and after lengthy debate, by raising rates the commission chose to collect more money from those that use the system and not impose a tax or fee on property owners. It also chose to address an anticipated $300,000 shortfall in capital expenses to a later date, and after initial results about the amount of revenue collected from the new fees are calculated.

An advocate of a small parcel fee or property tax, Commissioner Rhea Miller voted against the financing package. She said the disposal of garbage is an issue of public health and one that any “civilized society”is obligated to support. The program’s capital and infrastructure costs should not be borne by customers alone, she said.

Public Works Director Jon Shannon said ongoing financial problems are due largely to the program’s annual capital costs which, at minimum, are roughly $750,000 per year. Much of the expense is the result of a decision to haul waste and recycling to the mainland and close the local landfills. He said he’s unaware of any public utility that’s able to fund operations, capital and infrastructure needs by customer fees.

“Utilities don’t capture their entire costs through user fees,” Shannon said. “The price would be unacceptable.”

Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said a fee or tax is appropriate to off-set the “legacy costs” of the program. She suggested polling the program’s customers -- and the public in general -- to determine level of support for a parcel fee with varying rates for residential and commercial properties. Nielsen said a small parcel fee for the solid-waste program’s capital needs mirrors the reasoning behind public support for control of noxious weeds, which voters approved last year.

But Commissioner John Evans countered that the program is established as an “enterprise fund” and is supposed to pay its own way by design. He said it’s unfair to require those who rarely use the service to pay for improvements that benefit customers that use it to a much larger degree. In addition, he said, voters sent a clear message about new taxes with the recent and overwhelming defeat of three property tax proposals on Nov. 4.

“Citizens clearly said government should live within the revenue system you got,” San Juan County Commissioner John Evans said.

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