BUENA PARK : Garbage Bills to Rise 69 Cents in January

Residents will see a 69-cent increase in garbage-collection bills beginning in January.

The City Council approved the increase in residential bills from $10.50 per month to $11.19 after a public hearing Tuesday.

The public did not have much to say about the raise, but council members emphasized that Park Disposal, which handles garbage collection and recycling, charges Buena Park residents less than any other city in the county.

A 1991 state mandate to reduce the amount of waste dumped in landfills by 25% by 1995 was largely responsible for the increase, officials said. The council decided three years ago to go with “source recycling,” which means all garbage goes to a separation facility in Stanton. Some cities require residents to separate their own recyclables before pickup.

Mayor Donald L. Bone said the city will meet the 25% reduction goal.

To compensate for the cost increase, Park Disposal agreed to absorb the cost of the city’s annual spring cleanup, when residents may discard household items.

“Our rate is lower than any other city around,” said Councilman Don R. Griffin. “We were the lowest city (for garbage bills) before the rate raise, and we’ll be the lowest even after the raise.”