La Mesa Likely to See Trash Rates Increase, Council Votes

It may cost more for your trash and recycling to be picked up in La Mesa.

The city council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize city staff to proceed with a public notification process – a hearing to be held June 25 at 7 p.m. – to consider an increase in fees for trash removal.

EDCO Disposal Corporation formally requested a rate increase with the city on April 11. The city's current rates for refuse and recycling have been in effect since July 1, 2009.

The proposed increase would be 3.6 percent of the current residential rate of $18.42 per month, raising the new fee to $19.09, a 67-cent monthly, or $8.04 annually.

The proposed increase for commercial properties (for a standard 3-cubic-yard bin) would increase 2 percent, from $97.32 to $99.29 per month.

The new rates would be two-year proposals, and would take effect July 1, 2013, the start of the new fiscal year for the City of La Mesa. 

EDCO serves as many as 10,500 single-family properties, "and an equal amount of multifamily units," according to Steve South, CEO and president of EDCO.

La Mesa residents and property owners will be notified of the public hearing by mail, no later than May 11.

In other items, the council:

• Appointed councilmember Mark Arapostathis to the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District joint development steering committee, and named councilmember Kristine Alessio as the alternate,
• Heard an update of the city's storm water pollution prevention program,
• Unanimously voted to adopt a resolution that would terminate the Purchase and Sale Agreement and the Promisory Note for the "old police station property" at 8181 Allison Avenue. The move removes the site from all future Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules (ROPS) , and is an annual reduction of $750,000 to the General Fund, through FY 2017-18.