THOUSAND OAKS : Council Approves Garbage Bill Increase

Thousand Oaks residents will see their monthly garbage bills jump by 2.6% next year since the City Council has approved new franchise agreements with three trash disposal firms.

The 45-cents-a-month increase in residential rates for next year will boost the average family’s bill to $18.05 a month. The commercial rate will jump about 3%, so a business filling one large bin a week would pay $94.40 a month.

The franchise agreements approved by the City Council on Tuesday differ from the traditional Thousand Oaks trash contracts.

For the first time in city history, the garbage haulers have secured a multiyear agreement, good for five years. Also, their rates will be adjusted automatically each year to match inflation, so the council will no longer have to hold public hearings for every fee hike.

The streamlined process should save the city $50,000 a year, plus considerable staff and council time, according to Carolyn Greene of the Public Works Department.

Even with next year’s 2.6% increase, Thousand Oaks residents still pay one of the lowest trash collection rates in Ventura County, Greene said. The council voted 4 to 1 to accept the new contracts, with Councilwoman Elois Zeanah dissenting.