Council Approves Trash Rate Increase

The Fountain Valley City Council voted Tuesday night to approve Rainbow Disposal's request to raise residential trash rates by 33 cents.

The 1.8 percent increase will raise the monthly rate from $17.83 to $18.16, and is in response to a more than 30 percent hike in landfill use rates being paid by Rainbow. The residential rate increase is the first since 2006, and the final 33 cent figure was negotiated by city staff after Rainbow had originally asked for a monthly increase of $1.42.

The council also approved a new set of guidelines which would allow outside agencies to post announcements on the city's government access cable channel. Potential postings will be judged on two criteria: their content and their organization of origin. Approved content will have to increase public awareness or promote public health, and any event promoted should take place within the city. Organizations eligible to post events are:

• nonprofits
• the Chamber of Commerce
• the American Cancer society and equivalent health organizations
• the Kiwanis Club
• The Rotary Club
• veterans' organizations

In other business, the council:

• set a public hearing date of June 21 for discussion of the 2011-2012 fiscal year operating budget.
• approved a 3.64 percent commercial and industrial trash rate increase.
• adopted the city's urban water management plan.