Public Hearing - Proposed Increase in Solid Waste Services Rates

CITY OF WOODLAND

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PROPOSED INCREASE IN

SOLID WASTE SERVICES RATES

On TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025, the Woodland City Council will conduct a public hearing at 6:00 P.M., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in the COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 300 FIRST STREET, to consider:

Adopting increases to the rates for collection and handling of garbage, recycling, and organic waste services within the City (collectively, "Solid Waste Service"). The public hearing will be held to consider all oral testimony and written protests to, and the adoption of, the proposed rate increases.

Proposed Increase

USA Waste of California, Inc. dba WM of Woodland ("WM") provides Solid Waste Service within the City pursuant to an exclusive franchise agreement. The rate structure for monthly Solid Waste Service is for two customer classes: (i) residential; and (ii) commercial. The rates for Solid Waste Service for each customer class is determined based on: (i) the size of the container serving the property; (ii) the materials accepted in the container (e.g., trash, recyclables, or organic waste) serving the property; and (iii) the frequency of pickups per week.

Public Hearing Process as Specified by 1996's California Proposition 218

All Woodland property owners of record and tenants are invited to attend this public hearing. The City Council will hear and consider all materials and testimony as well as all written protests against the proposed rate increases. At the close of the public hearing, the City Council may adopt new rates if written protests against the proposed increases are not presented by a majority of identified parcels upon which the proposed rates are to be charged. The City is conducting this Proposition 218 majority protest proceeding out of an abundance of caution and without conceding the applicability of Proposition 218 to Solid Waste Service.

If adopted, the rates shall take effect on September 1, 2025. As noted in more detail below, the rates may also be adjusted for Annual Automatic Adjustments for a five-year period.

Basis for Rate Increases

The request for the proposed rate increases shown is based upon the City's existing solid waste franchise agreement ("Franchise Agreement") with WM. Revenues derived from the Solid Waste Service rates are used solely for the purpose of defraying costs incurred in providing efficient Solid Waste Service and to ensure continued compliance with State law, including but not limited to, garbage, recycling and organic waste pick-up, transportation, processing, disposal, facilities and equipment maintenance, capital projects and financing, and billing and account management. If the rates for Solid Waste Service are approved by the City Council, WM will implement the Solid Waste Service rate increases effective September 1, 2025. Please note that the proposed rates will provide a 15% discount for low-income customers.

Future Automatic Rate Increases

Because the City anticipates future increases in the cost of providing Solid Waste Service that WM will charge pursuant to the Franchise Agreement, the City is also proposing to annually adjust the maximum rates based on the percent change in the annual percentage change (July - June Fiscal Year timeframe) in the CPI -Urban Consumer - Garbage and trash collection index, series ID CUUR0000SEHG02 subject to a five percent cap that may be rolled over to future years. Rates may also be changed to reflect pass-through cost increases for disposal or processing costs.

If approved, beginning January 1, 2027, and each January 1 thereafter for a five-year period, the rates for Solid Waste Services may be adjusted annually, without a further public hearing, as described below. In no event may an automatic increase exceed the City's cost of providing Solid Waste Services. If the adjustments are approved, a written notice will be mailed to all parties subject to future annual rate adjustments, not less than 30 days prior to the effective date of the adjustment.

Proposed Rates

Below is a summary of the proposed rates. A full list of the proposed rates is available at bit.ly/WMRatesSeptember or at the QR code below.

To protest the proposed rate increases before the July 15 meeting, you must submit a written protest.

Any property owner whose property will be subject to the imposition of the proposed solid waste and recycling rates and any tenant directly responsible for the payment of such rates (i.e., a customer of record) may submit a written protest to the proposed changes. Oral, telephonic and e-mail protests will not be accepted.

Written protests may be submitted by mail or in person to the CityClerk's Office at 300 First Street, Woodland, CA 95695 or at the Public Hearing on Tuesday July 15 ,2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Woodland City Council Chambers, 300 First Street, Woodland, CA 95695, provided they are received prior to the conclusion of the public comment of the Public Hearing. A valid protest must include all of the following information: (1) A statement of protest ("I protest" will suffice); (2) Service address or Assessor parcel number (by assessor's parcel number, street address, or customer account); (3) Written evidence (example: current copy of a utility bill) that the person is the property owner, if the person was not shown on the County of Yolo's last equalized assessment roll as the property owner or that the person is a tenant who is currently residing at the property and is responsible for the payment of utility fees; and (4) Name and signature of the property owner or tenant submitting the protest (photocopies will not be accepted). The City Clerk will only accept one protest per parcel.

The Council may also discuss other hearings or business items before or after the items listed above. Pursuant to section 65009 (b) (2), the State Government Code "If you challenge the proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to, the public hearing". Failure of any person to receive the notice shall not constitute grounds for any court to invalidate the action of the legislative body for which the notice was given.

If you have any question regarding this notice, please contact Sarah Lansburgh, City Clerk at (530) 661-5806 or email at sarah.lansburgh@cityofwoodland.gov.

Dated: July 10, 2025

Sarah Lansburgh, CMC, City Clerk