County proposes trash collection fee

NAWILIWILI — The county Solid Waste Division is proposing a new fee to offset the cost of residential and commercial trash collection.

The Kaua‘i County Council’s Public Works Committee on Wednesday deferred action on the legislation needed to implement the assessment charge. The effective date would be July 1, 2011.

“This is a move towards trying to ensure that Solid Waste programs remain intact,” county engineer Donald Fujimoto said at the council meeting in Nawiliwili. “This ordinance is not complicated. However, obviously it is very controversial because it involves a charge.”

The downturn of the economy has forced the administration to make some “tough decisions” regarding which programs to fund, he said.

The Solid Waste Division’s estimated operating budget for next fiscal year is $12.05 million, Fujimoto said. The division receives $3.8 million from tipping fees at the Kekaha Landfill. The remaining revenue, some $8.25 million, comes from the county General Fund.

If the actual cost of trash collection would be broken down by each one of the roughly 24,000 households on Kaua‘i, the cost is $28.65 per month, according to Fujimoto.

Bill No. 2367 proposes each household pay a base rate of $6 per month, plus another $6 for a 96-gallon container for areas with automated trash collections. Residents of areas that still have conventional collection would be allowed up to three 32-gallon trash containers.

A second 96-gallon container would cost an extra $12 per month.

Fujimoto said the reason for a second container costing twice as much is that it would encourage the community to reduce trash by recycling more.

Kaua‘i resident Pat Gegen said his family barely fills up a 32-gallon container per week, after taking a few minutes a day to separate trash and recycle what they can.

The 96-gallon container is the standard, Fujimoto said, adding that the other counties in the state use a 96-gallon container and picks up trash twice a week.

“We are actually very progressive,” Fujimoto said. “We pick up once a week.”

Residents who don’t wish to pay for collection can bring their trash to transfer stations, but they would still be charged the $6 base rate per month.

Fujimoto said if 100 percent of households request the collection service, it would generate $3.45 million a year. If 75 percent of households request the collection, it would generate $3.02 million.

To minimize billing costs, the assessment fee would be tagged to Real Property taxes, Fujimoto said.

All serviceable residences are subject to the assessment. Uninhabitable dwellings such as barns wouldn’t be charged. Habitable but unoccupied dwellings would be charged the $6 base rate.

Council Chair Kaipo Asing said if most of the trash collection funding comes from the county General Fund, which is largely funded by Real Property taxes, then those taxes should be reduced.

The ordinance exempts properties that already have private trash collection. Residential condominiums usually have this type of service, which is listed as a line item in the condominium fees. Asing and Council Vice Chair Jay Furfaro said there is an opportunity to include the $6 base rate fee for those property owners.

Transient vacation rentals, as commercial operations, would be charged $84 a month if the ordinance is approved.

Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro asked Fujimoto if Solid Waste would ask for $3 million less in its operational budget for next fiscal year since the assessment is supposed to generate over $3 million.

Fujimoto said he would defer the question to the integrated solid waste management plan, because the financial section “clearly outlines” the projected flow of cash.

The bill has exemptions for low-income families.

Asing said he would like to see the assessment increase in two annual increments. He said he would introduce such an amendment.

Furfaro asked for a deferral on the decision to determine who would qualify for exemptions. The bill gives exemptions based on Real Property tax exemptions, but Furfaro proposed using a scale provided by HUD.

This item will likely resurface at the Sept. 1 council meeting.

Visit www.kauai.gov for more information.

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.