ITEM 9-C
City Council Meeting: July 28, 1992 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Resolution Adopting Rate Structure for Public Use
of City Refuse Transfer Station
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached
resolution allowing the public to use the City's refuse transfer
station and implement fees for such use.
Background
The Santa Monica Refuse Transfer Station has been traditionally
reserved for use by City refuse vehicles, and occasionally, by
licensed private refuse haulers operating within the City of
Santa Monica, at the discretion of the Director of General
Services and Solid Waste Superintendent (SMMC 5223). The City is
in the process of making every effort to help the citizenry
better manage solid waste, reduce generation of solid waste and
to dispose of waste in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Some of the programs the City has established to assist the
citizens in managing their solid waste also addressed the source
reduction requirements of the Solid Waste Management Act of 1989
(AB 939). These programs included the implementation of a
volume-based refuse rate structure on April 1, 1992; the
expansion of the City's recycling programs by doubling service
frequency; and adding all plastics, cardboard, and mixed waste
paper to the recycling program.
In order to further assist citizens in managing their refuse
disposal needs, the Solid Waste Management Division established a
FY 92/93 budgetary Service Level Improvement to "expand special
refuse collection options for both residential and commercial
customers." One of the implementation strategies associated with
this effort is to open the City Transfer Station to the
residential and commercial public on a limited and controlled
basis.
Discussion
Allowing the public to dispose of their solid waste at the
Transfer Station is a new option for the disposal of occasional
high-volume collection, clean-up, bulky items or yard waste.
Staff believes that by opening the facility it may help to reduce
careless and illegal dumping on streets or alleys, as well as
disposal of solid waste in carts and in dumpsters which are the
property of others. In addition to making the transfer station
available to private residents and business persons within the
City of Santa Monica, staff intends to extend this service to
small contractors and landscape developers performing services
within the City. Current staffing levels at the Transfer Station
are adequate to process the proposed additional solid waste.
Opening the transfer station to the public is not intended to be
an alternative option to subscribing to mandatory refuse service.
Staff proposes to initiate a six-month pilot program. After the
initial six-month pilot program, the entire project will be
reassessed in terms of its convenience to the public, potential
expandability, revenue and cost, and its overall effect on solid
waste conditions within the City.
Proposed Rates
The proposed rates as enumerated in the attached resolution are
split into two categories, with one set of fees for general
refuse disposal and a different set for yard waste disposal.
Uncontaminated yard waste can be processed at the Transfer
Station for a reduced rate due to the fact that it is counted as
a diversion element within the City's Solid Waste Management
Plan.
The charges for refuse disposal only is set at a $16.00 minimum
charge, which is also the amount to be charged for a small pickup
truck. The fees increase depending on the size of the truck
hauling the refuse with a limit of $80.00 for a 16-20 ft. flat
bed truck. Hard-to-handle refuse such as tires, concrete/asphalt
or tree stumps would be charged an additional 25% of the base
fee. Disposal of scrap metal and white goods will be charged
$5.00 per ton. Charges for disposal of yard waste will include a
$9.00 minimum fee and will increase up to $45.00 for a 16-20 ft.
flat bed truck (see page 2 of the attached resolution for
details).
Revenue Discussion
Analysis of operations at two other transfer stations located in
the Los Angeles Area (CR & R in Stanton, and CVT in Anaheim)
which have their facilities open to the public, indicate uneven
use and thus have a variable revenue stream. These facilities
report anywhere from 5 to 10 users per hour, although it is noted
that they serve much wider areas than Santa Monica will serve.
In order to estimate the revenue from this added service, staff
presumed that the facility would be available to the public
during the normal business hours at the site of Monday through
Saturday from 7 am to 3:00 pm. Another consideration was the
infrequent but sometimes necessary early closing of the facility
when it or the landfills have reached capacity. It is further
estimated that the number of public users (including landscaping
personnel) would be approximately 16 per day. Assuming each
participant has a median sized load (per the rate table, $26.00
for refuse and $16.00 for yard waste) and further assuming a 50%
refuse and 50% yardwaste division the following annual revenue
stream was developed.
No. of
loads Fee
8 $26.00 = $208.00
8 16.00 = 128.00
Daily Fee $336.00
x 6 days
Weekly Fee $2016.00
x 52 weeks
Annual Revenue $104,832
Budget/Financial Impact
It is anticipated that by implementing this program in August
1992, $96,768 will be generated for FY 92-93 deposited to revenue
account #27-500-441-00000-0503-10000.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the program to open
the transfer station to the public, and adopt the attached rate
structure by resolution.
Prepared by: Stanley E. Scholl, Director of General Services
James Buell, Maintenance Manager
Tom Dever, Solid Waste Management Superintendent
RESOLUTION NO.____
(CITY COUNCIL SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SETTING A
FEE STRUCTURE FOR DEPOSIT OF REFUSE
AND YARDWASTE BY THE PUBLIC AND
SMALL CONTRACTORS AT THE CITY'S
TRANSFER STATION
WHEREAS, Municipal Code Section 5223(a) allows fees for
depositing refuse at the City refuse transfer station to be set
by Resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Director of General Services may determine usage
of said transfer station; and
WHEREAS, the Solid Waste Management Superintendent determines
daily transfer station usage by refuse hauling vehicles and bases
this decision on available capacity and the order in which
requests are received,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The fees for public usage of the City refuse
transfer station by the residential and commercial public within
the City and contractors and landscapers serving City residences
and businesses shall be as follows:
REFUSE YARDWASTE (PURE)
Minimum charge $ 16.00 $ 9.00
Small pick up truck 16.00 9.00
Small pick up truck with 24.00 13.00
sideboards
Full size pick up 26.00 16.00
Full size pick up with 39.00 22.00
sideboards
10-14 ft. flat bed truck 48.00 30.00
16-20 ft. truck 80.00 45.00
Scrap metal 5.00/ton
Hard to handle 25% added to base rate
(tires, concrete, asphalt,
stumps)
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of
this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be
in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ROBERT M. MYERS
City Attorney