Tonight, the City Council Talks Trash: Republic Services is seeking a rate increase approval from the City Council, and staff is recommending a yes vote. The increase is tied to a combination of disposal cost increases and the Consumer Price Index – the hike would amount to 4.9% for residential customers.
If the Council approves the increase, it would take effect on January 1, and Republic says consumers would see an increase of $1 to $2.12 monthly depending on cart size. Commercial customers would see a 4.69% increase, and for industrial customers it would be 4.95%.
In related news, City staff is recommending that Council renew Republic’s waste franchise agreement for another 10 year term.
Notably, the City is not involved with matters surrounding Coffin Butte, the landfill falls under the County’s jurisdiction.
Crest Subdivision: This proposed 17 acre, 35 home development at the northwest end of 29th Street in the affluent Timberhill area is back on the Council’s agenda for tonight. Staff had approved the subdivision, and the Council heard the matter on appeal at their Sept. 18 meeting – which led them to seek further information from staff. Legally, the council will need to make a decision by Oct. 26.
League of Women Voters Seeks Budget Action: With a quickly approaching budget cycle upon City officials, there has been some blowback based on last year’s process.
Specifically, the powerful local chapter of an advocacy group, the League of Women Voters, or LWV, has submitted a letter to the Mayor and City Council seeking changes that would increase public input, and make more transparent how the public would have a say.
Here’s What Happened: The letter, which comes from the full board of the LWV, says “Concerns have been expressed by various Budget Commissioners that the City’s current budget process timeline does not provide for meaningful opportunities for community input – either by the public or by Budget Commissioners. For example, it is our understanding that public comments that had been received by the City were not made available to the Budget Commission until 2.5 hours before the final meeting in which the budget was scheduled for adoption. While the City may be following the letter of the law, it appears not to be honoring the spirit of the law.”
The LWV board points to state law, specifically…Oregon’s Local Budget Law, found in Chapter 294 of the Oregon Revised Statutes, requires citizen involvement in the preparation of the budget and public disclosure of the budget before its formal adoption.
“At the May 10, 2023, Budget Commission meeting, after concerns were expressed by some citizen members of the Budget Commission regarding the Budget process, Commissioners unanimously approved a motion that the Budget Commission recommend that the City Council form a task force of citizen and Council members to evaluate the Budget process,” said the LWV board.
What the LWV Seeks: According to the LWV, that task force hasn’t been initiated, and they also remind the motion to form one came from two City Councilors on the Budget Commission, Hyatt Lytle and Charlyn Ellis.
Now, what the LWV seeks is for the Council to “consider with all deliberate speed” the formation of the task force. and to ” to prioritize a timeline for adequate citizen involvement in the budget process as part of its charge.”
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