by Elliott Wilson
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — City Council members could contemplate raising garbage rates during a meeting at 7 p.m. today.
The price of disposing of garbage at the county transfer station will increase from $82 per ton to $88 next year, according to a memo to the council from Sedro-Woolley Solid Waste Manager Leo Jacobs. That increase could amount to about $30,000 per year in added costs to the city, he wrote.
If the city absorbs the rate increase, Jacobs said it would likely require the elimination of the city yard waste facility or an employee layoff. Passing the cost on to customers would raise garbage rates by about $0.85 per month, he stated.
Today, city staff plan to request an Aug. 12 public hearing to consider a rate increase. The council meeting will be held at City Hall, 325 Metcalf St.
