DANA POINT : New Contract With Solag Disposal OKd

Solag Disposal Inc., the city’s residential trash hauler, won a new seven-year contract this week that calls for expanding a pilot curbside recycling program to include the entire city and raises residential rates by 21%.

The City Council voted 4 to 1 Tuesday night to approve the new contract, which will increase residential rates from $10.96 to $13.25 per month. The contract, which takes effect in January, includes two new 60-gallon trash bins for each residence, one for recyclable glass, aluminum and newspaper materials and the other for all remaining trash.

The new contract also makes it mandatory for all 12,000 eligible households in the city to pay for Solag’s services whether they use them or not. Households that use large trash bins, such as multifamily dwellings with more than four apartments, are exempt.

The contract also does not include commercial businesses within the city, which only recycle voluntarily and should be included at a later date, said Gary P. Dysart, city deputy engineer.

“It’s a little too early to bring commercial concerns into the contract. We need to take this one step at a time,” Mayor Karen Lloreda said.

Councilman William L. Ossenmacher said he cast the dissenting vote because the contract is exclusive.

“We should be taking away monopolies, not making new ones,” Ossenmacher said. “There is no incentive to be trash-wise.”

Resident Gordon Graff also objected to the contract, claiming the trash bins would be too unwieldy. He also questioned an increase in rates if Solag would be making a profit from the recycled goods.

“Why should I pay an extra $40 a year for some trash company to make more money?” Graff asked the council.

Dysart said the increased rates are due to the extra costs incurred by Solag, including new trucks and the trash bins for residents.

“This contract is basically collateral for financing of new equipment,” Dysart said. “This program will require (Solag) to make a major investment, over $10 million, in trucks and containers.”

Solag’s contract is based on the future approval of similar contracts with other South County cities, including Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. Most of those cities have already given a conceptual approval of similar programs, but “if one of the other cities balks, depending upon the size of the city, it could have an impact on this contract.”

Responding to a resident’s concern about the possibility of recycling grass and other landscaping materials, Councilwoman Judy Curreri directed city staff to research how the Capistrano Bay Park and Recreation District handles its so-called “green” wastes and report back to the council.