Notice to Property Owners of Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Solid Waste Rate Changes

Why are you receiving this notice?

The City of Wasco (the “City”) is mailing this notice to you because you are a solid waste customer directly liable for payment of solid waste service fees, or are the owner of record of a property that receives solid waste services. This notice describes proposed rate changes to be assessed to recover the cost of providing solid waste service to City customers and provides a notice of a public hearing to be held on April 19, 2022, regarding these proposed changes.

Monthly solid waste service fees are the primary source of revenue used to pay for all aspects of the solid waste operations that provide services to customers. Expenses for those services include but are not limited to, operations and maintenance, debt service, major and minor capital improvements, administration, as well as costs related to prudent long‐term operational, capital planning, and financial management of the systems. Financial management would include maintaining adequate fund reserves and planning for contingencies.

Why are Rate Increases needed?

The City of Wasco is committed to providing high-quality, reliable solid waste service at the lowest possible rates for its citizens. Rates have not been increased in the past 5 years and costs over that time have increased significantly. In addition, SB 1383 (Short-lived climate pollutants) requires the City to implement new residential and commercial services at considerable additional expense. To provide for the ongoing viability of current operations, and fund the additional SB 1383 residential and commercial services rate increases are necessary.

What do the new rates look like?

Table 1 below identifies the Residential and Commercial rate increases that are currently set to be assessed over the next five years. As shown, an initial commercial rate adjustment is to become effective on July 1, 2022 rate increase to both residential and commercial rates. Annual rate adjustments to become effective on July 1st of each of the following four years are also shown. The city reserves its authority to record or enforce a lien on properties.

Table 1
Proposed Annual Rate Adjustments
<Assumes recommended Scenario 2A-New>

How do you file a protest or participate in the public hearing?

In compliance with AB361 and the Resolution Declaring the Existence of a Local Emergency Relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic, adopted by the City of Wasco City Council, and other public meetings are currently Teleconference/Video Conference Meetings Only to align with local and federal guidelines and social distancing recommendations for the containment of the coronavirus. Members of the public may participate in the public meetings (including making live comments during the public comment period) by joining the meeting using Zoom—an online meeting platform—or submitting written comments electronically before and during the meeting via email at cityclerk@cityofwasco.org  

Instructions for accessing and participating in the Zoom meeting, how to submit written comments, will be posted along with the meeting agenda by or before 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 15, 2022. To access this information, please visit the city website at  www.cityofwasco.org  and choose Agenda Center and then select the appropriate meeting to access the agenda material.

Every written protest MUST include ALL of the following to be counted:

1. A statement that it is a protest against the proposed charge that is the subject of the hearing.
2. Name of the record owner or customer of record who is submitting the protest; 
3. Identification of assessor's parcel number, street address, or   utility account number of the parcel with respect to which the protest is made;
4. Original signature and legibly printed name of the record owner or customer of record who is submitting the protest.

Written protests may be submitted to the City Clerk by:

1. Delivery to the City Clerk's Office at  746 8th Street, Wasco, CA, 93280 during published business hours; or 
2. Mail to City Clerk at  746 8th Street, Wasco, CA 93280.; or 
3. Written protest can be submitted during the public hearing by placing protests in the City’s Mailbox located at City Hall 746 8th street, Wasco Ca 93280 prior to the conclusion of the public hearing.

Regardless of how the written protest is submitted, it must be received by the City prior to the conclusion of the public comment portion of the Public Hearing. (Postmark dates will not be accepted.) Any protest submitted via e‐mail or other electronic means will not be accepted. 

Please identify on the front of the envelope for any written protest, whether mailed or submitted in person to the City Clerk, that the enclosed protest is for the Public Hearing on the Proposed Rate Changes ‐ Solid Waste Service Fees.

The City Council will hear and consider all written and oral protests to the proposed rate changes at the Public Hearing. Oral comments at the Public Hearing will not qualify as formal protests unless accompanied by a written protest. Upon the conclusion of the Public Hearing, there will be no more written protests accepted and no more testimony taken and the City Council will consider adoption of the proposed rates for residential and commercial solid waste services described in this notice. If written protests against the proposed rates, as outlined above, are presented by a majority of property owners or customers of record, the City Council will not be authorized to impose the proposed rates at this meeting and a separate meeting will be scheduled to validate the submitted protests and determine a final count. If written protests against the proposed rates, as outlined above, are not presented by a majority of property owners or customers of record, the City Council will be authorized to impose the proposed rates. If adopted, the rates for solid waste will be in effect on the dates shown in Table 1. 

If you have any questions about the proposed rate changes or would like to see more information about data used for the study, please contact the City Clerk at 661- 758-7215 or by email at cityclerk@cityofwasco.org  during normal business hours.  Additional information and documents related to the proposed rate changes can be found on the City of Wasco’s website at www.cityofwasco.org

Proposition 218 – Solid-Waste (Sanitation) Rate Adjustments
Under Proposition 218, the City of Wasco is required to hold a protest hearing for certain property-related fees, assessments, and charges prior to creation or increase. On March 4, 2022, the City mailed notices of the proposed rate adjustments to the owners of all parcels within the City limits and all possibly affected tenants with active utility accounts. The City will be holding a formal public hearing at City Hall on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. (or as soon thereafter as feasible), prior to any adjustments taking effect.