New City of Sarasota solid waste fees go into effect Oct. 1

Residential customers with curbside pickup will see an increase of $1 per month

File photo
File photo

After maintaining solid waste fees at the same rate for the past 10 years, the City of Sarasota is implementing new rates for residential and commercial customers as of Saturday, Oct. 1, with no change to the current level of service, the city has announced.

Curbside residential rates will increase $1 on customers’ monthly utility bills, a news release says. The current $21.66 fee will become $22.66, the release notes.

“Commercial rates will vary depending upon the container size and frequency of collection,” the release explains. The fee for a commercial customer with a residential-size cart picked up twice a week will be $30.89, it says.

The tonnage collected from commercial customers and disposed of at the Sarasota County landfill is double that of residential customers, the release points out. “The new rates were adjusted to reflect that higher level of service,” the release adds.

Over the past decade, the Solid Waste Division was able to maintain “the same reasonable rates” because of technology efficiencies in the industry and favorable contracts with Waste Management for commercial and recycling collection services, the release continues. The modest fee increases are necessary because of increased hotel and multi-family residential construction, which has necessitated the use of additional commercial collection staff; a reduction in recycling revenue; and the need for the city “to be fiscally responsible by maintaining a healthy operating reserve,” the release says.