Laguna fees for residential trash and sewer services are going up

Life in Laguna Beach is going to get slightly more expensive.

The City Council this week approved fee increases for residential solid waste collection and sewer services. Both hikes were first approved in 2016 and 2015, respectively, as part of a series of increases.

For most single-family residences in Laguna, the fee for trash collection is going up 2.5%, from $216.93 annually to $222.35.

The city contracts trash collection to Waste Management but collects the fees.

Sewer fees for single-family homes are going up about 4.75%, from $668 annually to $700. The increased sewer rates only affect homes northwest of Cardinal Drive, which are served by the city. Homes south of that fall under South Coast Water District jurisdiction.

Laguna Beach will collect the fees through the 2018-19 Orange County property tax roll.

The solid waste increases were issued in response to rising costs and are scheduled to end in 2019, officials said. The sewer fee increases are scheduled to run through 2025.

City officials have said sewers are particularly expensive to operate, given Laguna’s hilly topography that requires 25 lift stations to move and process 2 million gallons of sewage over 90 miles of pipeline daily. When the increases were first approved, city officials said the funds would help pay for repairing aging pipes and creating an emergency reserve fund.

In other action at its meeting Tuesday, the council passed the second reading of an ordinance granting pay raises for itself. The matter was first approved last month.

Effective Dec. 4, council members will receive $908 monthly stipends, up from $826. The 10% bump is the maximum allowed under state law.

The council last gave itself a raise in December 2016.

Bradley Zint is a contributor to Times Community News.