Garbage rates are going up in the City of Lathrop.
But for at least the next year, senior citizens will be spared from paying more every month to have their trash picked up – a suggestion that was made by Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal and approved by Republic Services, the contracted agency that is tasked with performing Lathrop’s sanitation duties.
Starting today, residents will be paying 1.6 percent more every month to have their garbage picked up – which translates into $0.56 more for those will small 30-gallon containers, $0.61 for medium 60-gallon containers, and $0.69 more for large 90-gallon containers. The monthly rate for those same units will be $35.74, $38.50, and $43.71, respectively.
The average household in Lathrop will therefore be paying an additional $6.72 over the previous year for a small garbage can, $7.32 more every year for a medium garbage can, and $8.28 a year more for a large garbage can.
Republic Services had initially proposed increasing the 30-gallon monthly rate by $0.43, the 60-gallon by $0.46, and the 90-gallon by $0.52 for senior customers, but the company agreed to hold off on that rate increase for at least another year because of the strain that it may put on those with a fixed income. The rates for seniors will remain at $26.60, $28.57, and $32.24, respectively, for residential garbage collection.
Mobile home and trailer park residents will also see the 1.6 percent increase – up an additional $0.36, $0.37, or $0.42 a month depending on size – while senior mobile home and trailer park residents will also continue paying what they did the previous year every month until the council revisits the matter.
According to the contract that the city has with Republic Services – which superseded Lathrop Sunrise Sanitation – the company is allowed an annual rate adjustment of up to 4 percent based on the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Area, of which Lathrop is included. The council approved a five-year extension with the company in 2019 that will make the company the provider of sanitation services for the City of Lathrop through the end of the 2024 fiscal year.
As part of the city’s contract and ongoing relationship with Republic Services, the company pays the City of Lathrop a franchise fee of 7 percent of the gross revenue collected every month, and 3 percent of the gross revenue collected every month for recyclable items.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
