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Conduct a public hearing, tabulate protests, and, if no majority protest exists, adopt a resolution approving a 3% inflationary rate adjustment for solid waste, organics, and recyclables services provided in unincorporated Solano County effective March 3, 2026
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes _X___ No _ __
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors conduct a public hearing, tabulate protests, and, if no majority protest exists, adopt a resolution approving a 3% inflationary rate adjustment for solid waste, organics, and recyclables services provided in unincorporated Solano County effective March 3, 2026.
SUMMARY:
Solano County contracts with four designated service providers to ensure reliable collection, transportation and management of solid waste, organics and recyclables in the unincorporated areas. These services are mandatory for designated parcels under County Code and are funded through customer rates paid directly to the contractors.
The County and its contractors are currently operating under short-term contract extensions while negotiations for new long-term franchise agreements continue. The prior franchise agreements (2014-2024) included a fixed annual inflationary adjustment of 3%. During the first extension year (2025), no rate increase was implemented.
As part of the current extension, the contractors have requested implementation of a 3% inflationary rate adjustment consistent with the historic contract structure. The adjustment is intended to address increased operating costs, including labor, fuel, equipment, disposal and regulatory compliance expenses, and to maintain uninterrupted service during negotiations.
Written notice of the proposed 3% rate adjustment was mailed to affected account holders and parcel owners between January 1-16, 2026, more than 45 days in advance of the public hearing. Notices for each service area, including proposed rates, are provided in attachments A through D.
PROPOSED RATE ADJUSTMENT
The proposed 3% adjustment would result in the following representative monthly changes:
Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery dba Rio Vista Sanitation Service
|
Service Level |
Current Rate |
Proposed Rate |
Monthly Increase |
|
Residential - 1x 40 gal |
$ 39.51 |
$ 40.70 |
$ 1.19 |
|
Commercial - 1x 96 gal |
$ 97.41 |
$100.35 |
$ 2.94 |
|
|
|
|
|
Recology Vallejo
|
Service Level |
Current Rate |
Proposed Rate |
Monthly Increase |
|
Residential - 1x 32 gal |
$ 27.31 |
$ 28.13 |
$ 0.82 |
|
Commercial - 1 yard bin |
$117.82 |
$121.35 |
$ 3.53 |
Recology Vacaville Solano
|
Service Level |
Current Rate |
Proposed Rate |
Monthly Increase |
|
Residential - 1x 32 gal |
$ 30.56 |
$ 31.48 |
$ 0.92 |
|
Commercial - 1 yard bin |
$173.07 |
$178.26 |
$ 5.19 |
Republic Services dba Solano Garbage Company
|
Service Level |
Current Rate |
Proposed Rate |
Monthly Increase |
|
Residential - 1x 34/25 gal |
$ 28.50 |
$ 29.36 |
$ 0.86 |
|
Commercial - 1x 95 gal |
$ 68.20 |
$ 70.25 |
$ 2.05 |
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The proposed 3% inflationary rate adjustment applies to customer service rates paid directly to the designated contractors. The adjustment is intended to account for increased operating costs, including labor, fuel, equipment, regulatory compliance and disposal expenses.
Administrative costs associated with noticing and preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY 2025/26 Working Budget. There is no fiscal impact associated with conducting this public hearing.
DISCUSSION:
Service Areas and Contractors
In 2003, the Solano County Board of Supervisors established service area boundaries for the collection, transportation and management of solid waste, organics and recyclables and designated the following contractors for service provision: Recology Vacaville Solano, Recology Vallejo, Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery dba Rio Vista Sanitation Service, and Republic Services dba Solano Garbage Company (collectively the “contractors”).
Pursuant to Chapter 23 of the Solano County Code, parcels within specified residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts are required to subscribe to service from the contractor serving their respective service area.
Contract History and Basis for Adjustment
The County’s prior service agreements (January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2024) included a fixed annual inflationary rate adjustment of 3%. Following expiration of those agreements, the County and contractors agreed to a one-year contract extension through December 31, 2025, without a rate increase to allow time to negotiate new long-term agreements.
Current Status
Negotiations for long-term agreements are ongoing. To ensure uninterrupted service during this period, the County and contractors agreed to an additional contract extension that includes a proposed 3% inflationary rate adjustment. The proposed rates are designed to recover the reasonable cost of providing solid waste, recycling, and weekly organic waste collection services in the unincorporated area, including costs associated with labor, fuel, equipment, disposal, monitoring, reporting and container labeling necessary to comply with State regulatory requirements. The rate structure proportionately allocates those costs on a parcel basis among the various customer classes served within each service area. The proposed adjustment does not exceed the amount necessary to recover the cost of providing services and reflects the inflationary mechanism historically embedded in the franchise agreements.
Proposition 218 Procedures
Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218) provides procedures governing certain property-related fees and charges. The County is conducting this hearing consistent with those procedures, including mailed notice and an opportunity for written protest. Notices were mailed to affected account holders and parcel owners between January 1-16, 2026, providing more than the required 45 days. At the conclusion of the hearing, staff will tabulate any valid written protests. The total number of affected parcels is 5,818. If written protests are received from a majority (50% + 1, or 2,910) of parcels within a service area, the proposed rate adjustment for that service area may not be adopted.
On February 10, 2026, the Board adopted procedures governing the receipt and tabulation of written protests for this hearing (Attachment E).
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to adopt the proposed inflationary rate adjustment if no majority protest exists; however, doing so may affect the financial terms of the current contract extensions and could impact ongoing negotiations for long-term franchise agreements.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel assisted the Department of Resource Management with developing Proposition 218 procedures.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION