MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6, includes an agenda item that, if approved, will affect foothill residents and their pocketbooks when it comes to getting rid of trash.
The Madera County Public Works Department / Municipal Services Division will ask Supervisors to consider a resolution to increase fees at Fairmead Landfill and the North Fork Transfer Station. Supervisors will also consider a resolution to increase franchise hauler fees for collection and disposal at Fairmead Landfill by contracted haulers Emadco Disposal Service and Redrock Environmental Group.
Emadco serves unincorporated areas of Eastern Madera County, while Redrock services unincorporated areas in the San Joaquin Valley, along with Chowchilla, and Madera Ranchos.
Public Works Director Ahmad Alkhayyat and John Carlton of solid waste consulting firm Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB) are recommending that the current rates charged at the Fairmead Landfill be increased from $22.58 to $40 per ton, representing an 80 percent increase, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
That new rate will only be charged to the residents of the unincorporated areas of Madera County that are serviced by contracted haulers Emadco and Red Rock.
County staff are also recommending that the North Fork Transfer Station fee be increased from $45.58 to $67.12 per ton.
Under the new Resolutions, the City of Fresno, City of Madera and the City of Chowchilla will not see a rate increase and will continue to pay a rate of $22.58 per ton.
The potential price hike is intended to help offset a projected $8 million dollars the County needs to operate and expand the landfill over the next five years, and bring in an additional $1.1 million to the County, annually.
For Emadco customers, Madera County staff is projecting that the average residential bill will increase by 12 percent, for an average of about $2.76 per household, per month. This is forecast to bring in roughly half-a-million dollars each year. Red Rock customers’ share would be approximately $600,000 under the new rate schedule.
In May of this year, GBB held workshops to provide the Board of Supervisors with ideas for solving the financial challenges of the Madera County Solid Waste program, including options to increase revenue by raising landfill tipping fees, increasing waste volume, partial mandatory collection, and a program for converting landfill gas to energy.
GBB also suggested decreasing expenditures by deferring capital projects, finance capital and other methods. The pros and cons of leasing or selling the landfill were discussed, including taking waste elsewhere, plus stiffer penalties for illegal dumping.
At a regular meeting of the Board on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Public Works Director Alkhayyat explained that, since the initial workshops, follow-up meetings had taken place with stakeholders, including county administrators, landfill staff, contracted haulers, and others who would be responsible for implementing any new agreements.
The recommendations for these resolutions to increase fees at the landfill and transfer station are slated to be presented to the Board at the regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6.
The Board meets regularly each month in the Board Chambers of the County Government Center in Madera. The public is invited to attend and participate, or watch the meetings live streaming online. All meetings and applicable documents are archived on the County’s website.
Any member of the public wishing to bring a matter to the attention of the Board may contact the Clerk of the Board to request the item be placed on the agenda.
Click here to review the Oct. 4 meeting for additional information.
