Santa Clarita Awards 3 Trash Haulers Franchises as Prelude to Recycling

The Santa Clarita City Council has set the stage for citywide recycling this spring by awarding franchises to three waste haulers that will have exclusive rights to dispose of residential garbage.

Under an agreement approved early Wednesday morning, waste haulers will no longer contract with individual households for trash disposal--a practice that often had all three local disposal companies picking up trash at different houses on the same block.

Instead, the three companies will be given areas of responsibility and rates will be a uniform $16.85 a month. Rates currently range from $16.50 to $16.85.

Generally, Blue Barrel Disposal will haul trash and recyclables in Valencia and Newhall, Atlas Disposal will serve Saugus and Santa Clarita Disposal will handle Canyon Country and Sand Canyon. The companies will phase in their new territories starting this week.

The new city ordinance applies to residential properties only.

The council approved the franchises over objections of the San Fernando Valley division of Waste Management of North America Inc., which began service in Santa Clarita last year but had a small share of the market.

Larry Spittler, general manager for Waste Management in the San Fernando Valley, said the company could provide service comparable to that of local haulers for $13.50 a month. Ten speakers testified against the franchises. Resident John Simas said the pact violated antitrust laws and threatened to sue if the franchises were approved.

But city attorneys said the franchises were legal and did not require competitive bidding. Public Works Director John Medina said the three local haulers had proven records and would provide better service than Waste Management.

The franchises will enable Santa Clarita to start recycling in April and thus comply with a state law requiring cities to cut waste 25% by 1995, Medina said.

The three haulers began the city’s first curbside recycling program free of charge last October for 3,000 households to prove that they could handle a citywide program.

By April residents will be given 34-gallon bins for recyclable glass, plastic and metal, which will be separated later at a recycling center. Newspapers will have to be stacked next to the trash bins.

The council approved the franchises 4 to 0. Councilwoman Jan Heidt abstained because she holds stock in Waste Management.