City of Tulare
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Proposed Rate Schedule - Solid Waste
The City of Tulare provides solid waste services to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers located within the City. In March 2024, R3 Consulting was retained to prepare a cost of service analysis, develop and analyze appropriate rate structures, develop a revenue plan to help ensure that the City meets all of the State's recycling mandates (primarily SB 1383), estimate the City's cost to provide the billing services for each rate structure, and to determine the rates necessary to meet the City's revenue requirements.
Rate Study Background
The goal of the study is to ensure that each line of business (Residential, Commercial, Roll-Off and Street Sweeper) generates revenues to cover the cost of service for each line of business. The study was also designed to generate revenue to meet reserve requirements, and provide revenue for operational and capital improvements.
The last solid waste study and rate increase occurred in 2017-2018. The rates were adopted for five years beginning in 2018 and competed in 2022. R3 Consulting completed that study.
Why do a rate study?
The City of Tulare is committed to providing high quality, reliable solid waste service at the lowest possible rates for its citizens. It is critically important for the City to continually maintain, repair, and improve the assets it holds and to keep pace with ever increasing operating costs. Since the last rate adjustment occurred almost three years ago, the City’s solid waste collection costs have increased significantly due to inflation and other factors. In addition, SB 1383, which among other things requires comprehensive programs to collect food waste and other organic materials from both residential and commercial customers has come into full effect, with significant additional costs.
The proposed rates will be used to ensure that the utility collects sufficient revenue to cover fixed expenses, to fund capital improvements, and to increase reserves used to fund ongoing repair and replacement of the solid waste operations in order to maintain reliable service in future years. Over the next five years, the City plans to continue to improve and expand operations. The proposed rates will support those efforts.
The proposed rates are calculated using the costs associated with providing residential, commercial, roll-off and street sweeping services. These costs include but are not limited to operational, maintenance, and regulatory compliance costs. In addition funding is needed to provide adequate operating reserves, fund scheduled vehicle replacement, and provide reserve funding for a new City corporation yard.
The table below identifies the residential, commercial and roll-off rate increases that are currently proposed to be assessed beginning on July 1, 2025 for solid waste services. There is no proposed increase to street sweeping rates.
Proposed Rates
Other Related Documents
Presentation - Tulare Rate Study and Financial Plan
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the proposed rate changes or would like to see more information about the study, please contact Andrew Bettencourt at (559) 684-4382 or abettencourt@tulare.ca.gov from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.