To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ANDREW WINJE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
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AUTHORIZE STAFF TO INITIATE THE PROPOSITION 218 PROCESS TO CONSIDER PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS TO SOLID WASTE RATES AND FEES BEGINNING IN FY 2026-27 AS PART OF THE PROPOSED SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE HANDLING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ARAKELIAN ENTERPRISES, INC., DBA ATHENS SERVICES, AND FOR FUTURE RATE ADJUSTMENTS USING THE SPECIFIC FORMULAS LISTED IN THE SERVICES AGREEMENT
SET MAY 19, 2026 AS THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE SOLID WASTE REFUSE COLLECTION RATES AND THE TABULATION OF ALL PROTESTS RECEIVED
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City's solid waste hauler, Arakelian Enterprises, Inc., DBA Athens Services (Athens), has proposed a second amendment to its franchise hauling agreement with the City. An outline of the proposed changes and the impact on service rates was presented to the City Council in January 2026. The proposed changes include a bundling of services for multi-family and commercial customers, and a reclassifying of larger multifamily properties to have their services provided in line with commercial properties. It was noted that, while some customers proposed for reclassification would see rate increases, the City, on balance, would still benefit from rates across all classifications that are at or below market norms in the area. A benefit from the reclassification would be to further incentivize customers to pursue disposal practices that help the City meet its recycling compliance requirements issued by the State.
At the January meeting, the City Council agreed to the contract changes in concept and directed staff to continue negotiating the proposed second amendment for future consideration. The contract negotiations are progressing well, but are not yet complete. The proposed rate structure in the updated agreement however has been settled, and is based on the sample rates presented to the City Council in January 2026, with...
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