Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Appearing to follow in the county’s footsteps, but in actuality facing the financial facts, city officials are readying to raise the rates for the pick-up of commercial garbage.
Proposed Ordinance No. 2022-10, which is set for adoption in October, aims to raise the rates of commercial garbage collection services by 20 percent across the board.
The Monticello City Council took up the measure for the first time on Tuesday evening, Sept. 6, preparatory to formally adopting it at their next regular meeting in October.
The cause for the rate change, per the ordinance, is that the cost of providing the service has increased.
The ordinance sets a multitude of minimum monthly charges for the collection and disposal of garbage, depending on the different types of business establishments, ranging from $16.87 at the low end, to $263.05 at the high end.
Even within the same categories, however, the fees vary, depending on the size of the business. Offices and retail stores, for example, pay $16.87 if they are classified as small, $20.40 if classified as medium, and $50.02 if classified as large-2.
The exception is the large-1 classification, which pays $29.52 if it’s an offices, and $35.10 if it’s a retail store. What’s more, the retail store classification has a large-3 category, which pays $112.99.
Also paying $112.99 are medium-sized restaurants and large convenience stores. The businesses paying the highest charges are large grocery stores, which pay $263.05.
Mayor Julie Conley noted the multiplicity of categories and wondered if they could be somehow reduced.
City Manager Seth Lawless said he was working on just such a reduction and hoped to have it ready in the not too distant future. But it was difficult to do so because of all the variations, he said.
The council has set the ordinance for a public hearing and adoption on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
