Augusta commissioners looked at increasing the annual cost for garbage pickup by 17% and 23% during a Tuesday meeting but eventually sent Administrator Tameka Allen back to the drawing board.
They also learned more about the new, separate recycling program being offered by hauler Coastal Waste and Recycling for an additional charge.
Both are tied to the city’s new waste collection contract, which goes into effect with Coastal on Friday.
Since 2013, Augusta households have paid approximately $320.50 per year for garbage, bulky waste and yard waste pickup. The charge appears on a homeowner’s property tax bill.
Allen said the rate should have been adjusted annually based on the consumer price index but was not. A 2.83% annual increase would put the original $310.50 charge at $434 today, she said.
Consequently, the current rate generates about $5.5 million less than what the city needs to run the program at current levels, making an increase mandatory, she said.
“We cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer,” Allen said. “This is unfortunately what has to happen because we have not kept up with inflation.”
Commissioners were presented with two options for an increase. One increased the rate to $374.50 per year, but eliminated funding for three services – vacant lot cutting, mosquito control and demolition of blighted structures – for which $2 million in garbage revenue is being spent.
The second option raised the rate to $395.50 annually and kept the additional serves intact.
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Guilfoyle, who served on the commission when the current rates were set, said the city did not need to raise them in years past because “the landfill had money in the bank.”
He suggested funding demolitions with sales taxes but was informed by general counsel that only certain demolitions are eligible capital expenses.
Commissioner Don Clark said he personally hadn’t seen a “true output yield” from the extra services.
The Engineering Services committee directed Allen and staff to look for other ways to save, such as reducing about $8 million in “overhead” or raising tipping fees at the landfill.
Coastal set to go Friday
In any event John Casagrande, senior vice president of business development for Coastal, said 12 additional garbage trucks were delivered last week and drivers are ready to go. Coastal was able to bring over personnel from the previous hauler who were already familiar with the routes, he said.
Coastal will begin removing the current recycling containers on Friday, he said. The process is tedious because the cans need to be empty at the time they are hauled away, Casagrande said.
Recycling is getting “a whole new reboot” that will begin with “getting rid of the old,” he said.
The city announced last week residents can begin enrolling in the program Friday. Coastal staffers said the quarterly cost will be $38, or $152 per year.
Recycling was previously included with garbage pickup but most residents did not recycle, or contaminated their recycling with food and other items.
The materials being recycled will be transported to a recycling center in North Augusta, Casagrande said.
The company anticipates a January start for the program, he said.
Commissioner Brandon Garrett said he preferred Augusta have drop-off sites for recycling.
“I love the idea of having set facilities around the county to collect it, instead of by the curbside,” he said.
Those willing to drive their recycling to a site are likely to dispose of it correctly, Garrett said.
Casagrande said he was familiar with the drop-off sites and recommended they be in a gated area and even manned. Coastal will supply containers for free, he said.
