Claremont Sanitation Fee Hike On City Council Agenda

CLAREMONT, CA — Residents could see higher sanitation and sewer fees thanks to a proposal the Claremont City Council will consider Tuesday that would allow officials to adopt a new fee schedule.

If the fee hike is approved, single-homes, multi-family complexes and commercial buildings would see a 12 percent rate increase beginning in the 2022-'23 fiscal year, according to a city report. Fees would rise 3 percent fee in each subsequent year through 2026 — which would translate to an annual increase of between $2.12 and $2.32 for the average single-family home.

The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Because of COVID-19 safety precautions, the meeting will be streamed over Zoom and can be accessed by visiting the city's website.

The proposed fee increase was driven in part by an unfunded state mandate related to waste disposal and the rising recycling costs, according to the report. The city’s fees for sanitation and sewer services have remained unchanged over the last three years.

“The city is required to cover all its expenses for sewer and sanitation services through fees charged for services,” according to the report. “These fees are deposited into the sewer and sanitations funds and are used only to cover costs directly related to providing these services.”

In addition to the fee hike, the city would also begin to charge residents an additional $5.50 per month for every additional recycle and organic waste container they have starting in July.

A full copy of the proposed sanitation and sewer fee schedule can be found on the city of Claremont’s website.