ANAHEIM : Trash Pickup, Sewer Charges Increased

The City Council on Tuesday approved a $7 monthly increase for garbage pickup at local businesses and smaller hikes in sewer and street sweeping charges for city residents.

The unanimous approval also contained some good news for homeowners. Council members imposed a freeze on residential garbage collection fees at the current monthly charge of $10.99 for the next year.

While both residential and commercial trash collection rates have increased steadily over the last couple of years under the city’s long-term contract with Anaheim Disposal Inc., city maintenance director John Roche said this year’s request for an increase is largely aimed at funding the start of the city’s commercial trash recycling program.

Roche said $6 of the $7.33 increase will go to purchase recycling bins for commercial customers. The balance represents an increase for the contractor, Anaheim Disposal.

The disposal company, an arm of Anaheim-based Taormina Industries, has held the city’s commercial pickup contract for 44 years. The contract is the longest-running on record in the city and the company’s chairman, William C. Taormina, has been the largest contributor to city political campaigns since 1984.

Even with the increase to $95.33 per month, “our rates are very competitive,” Roche said. Anaheim commercial rates would remain competitive with other surrounding cities. Santa Ana charges businesses $110 per month, Fullerton charges $89.10 and Garden Grove charges $80, the maintenance director said.

“Our business people seem to know they get a good deal. If our rates were outlandish, I could see where there would be some problem” with an increase.

Under the same proposal, the council approved a combined monthly sewer and street sweeping increase for residents totaling $1.02, while the combined increase for businesses amounts to $1.82.

Roche said the sewer increases will generate up to $1 million per year to begin a program of replacing old downtown sewer lines. Some of the lines have been existence since the early 1900s, and there is a need to increase capacity.