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AN ORDINANCE relating to solid waste fees charged at recycling and transfer facilities, at the Cedar Hills regional landfill; amending Ordinance 12564, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C.10.12.021 and establishing an effective date.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The solid waste division of the department of natural resources and parks provides essential public services that protect human health, the environment, and the quality of life in our region.
2. The solid waste division operates the Cedar Hills regional landfill, eight transfer stations, and two drop boxes. It also provides innovative programs to help customers prevent and recycle waste.
3. The department of natural resources and parks is proposing to change the rate solid waste collection entity per-ton-rate vehicles are charged for disposal of municipal solid waste from $179.18 to $194.00 per ton, effective January 1, 2027.
4. The department of natural resources and parks is proposing to increase the fixed-annual charge for disposal of municipal solid waste from $26,838,510 to $29,119,783, effective January 1, 2027.
5. The impact on the average single-family household with a 32-gallon weekly garbage collection service would be approximately seventy-three cents per month in 2027.
6. Solid waste collection entities rely on the availability of King County transfer stations to complete their collection routes. The department of natural resources and parks is proposing providing a credit to solid waste collection entities, if temporary, unplanned closures of King County transfer stations occur lasting longer than twenty-four hours.
7. Fee increases for 2027 enable the solid waste division of the department of natural resources and parks to maintain essential solid waste disposal and recycling services and generate the revenue needed to carry out programmatic responsibilities required under adopted policies.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 12564 Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 10.12.021 are hereby amended as follows:
Except as otherwise provided in K.C.C. 10.04.020 and 10.12.058, all persons using county-operated solid waste transfer stations, drop boxes and Cedar Hills regional landfill shall pay the service fees in the following schedules:
A. Fees for the use of solid waste facilities with scales, excluding Cedar Hills, shall be:
1. Solid waste disposal:
Fixed-rate vehicles (($36.69)) $39.76 per entry
Solid waste collection entity per-ton-rate vehicles (($179.18)) $194.00 per ton
Self-hauler per-ton-rate vehicles (($229.29)) $249.00 per ton
Charitable organizations (($176.55)) $192.04 per ton
Minimum (($36.69)) $39.76 per vehicle
Charitable organizations, minimum charge (($28.25)) $30.83 per entry
2. Deposit of source-separated yard waste, clean wood waste, or any combination thereof:
Fixed-rate vehicles (($20.70)) $22.50 per entry
Per-ton-rate vehicles (($129.38)) $140.50 per ton
Minimum charge (($20.70)) $22.50 per vehicle
3. Deposit of major appliances:
Major appliances with refrigerants (($30.00)) $32.50 per unit
4. Deposit of mattresses:
Mattresses (($30.00)) $32.50 per unit
5. Qualified low-income customers shall receive fee discounts of (($20.00)) $22.00 per entry for deposit of solid waste, yard waste, clean wood waste appliances and mattresses. Customers with mixed loads must separate and deposit materials with sequential visits to the scale house to receive a discount on the individual waste types.
B. Each billing entity in the solid waste system will pay a share of the fixed-annual charge. The share each billing entity pays, for each service area it serves, is directly proportional to the total tons of municipal solid waste, deposited by solid waste collection entities at county-operated solid waste facilities in the most recent calendar year for which data is available, as shown in the following formula:
1. W = X * (Y / Z), where:
a. W is the billing entity's share in dollars of the fixed-annual charge for a specific service area;
b. X is the total amount of the fixed-annual charge for the calendar year;
c. Y is the number of tons of municipal solid waste from a specific service area of the billing entity that is deposited at county-operated solid waste facilities in the most recent calendar year for which data is available; and
d. Z is the total number of tons of municipal solid waste from all service areas deposited at county-operated solid waste facilities by all solid waste collection entities in the most recent calendar year for which data is available, excluding regional direct tons.
2. Beginning January 1, ((2026)) 2027, the fixed-annual charge is (($26,838,510)) $29,119,783.
C. Fees for the use of solid waste facilities without scales shall be based upon the cubic yard or fraction thereof as follows:
1. Solid waste disposal:
Fixed-rate vehicle (($36.69)) $39.76 per entry
Per-ton-rate vehicles:
Compacted wastes (($66.49)) $72.35 per cubic yard
Uncompacted wastes (($38.98)) $42.42 per cubic yard
Minimum charge (($36.69)) $39.76 per vehicle
2. Deposit of source separated yard waste, clean wood waste or any combination thereof:
Fixed-rate vehicle (($20.70)) $22.50 per entry
Per-ton-rate vehicles:
Compacted wastes (($37.52)) $40.75 per cubic yard
Uncompacted wastes (($21.99)) $24.00 per cubic yard
Minimum charge (($20.70)) $22.50 per vehicle
3. Qualified low-income customers shall receive fee discounts of (($20.00)) $22.00 per entry for deposit of solid waste, yard waste, clean wood waste appliances and mattresses. Customers with mixed loads must separate and deposit materials with sequential visits to the scale house to receive a discount on the individual waste types.
D. Fees at the Cedar Hills regional landfill shall be:
Cedar Hills Regional Direct (($194.89)) $211.00 per ton
Solid waste collections entity per-ton-rate
vehicles (($179.18)) $194.00 per ton
Per-ton mattress (($1,090.00)) $1,182.00 per ton
Disposal by other vehicles is at the discretion of the division director.
((In the event of a temporary closure of two or more King County transfer stations, excluding drop box facilities, when the solid waste division has provided fewer than five days' notice to certificated haulers, the department of natural resources and parks director, or designee, is authorized to modify the Cedar Hills Regional Direct fee at the Cedar Hills regional landfill for the duration of the temporary closure. A closure resulting from causes beyond the control of the solid waste division, such as severe weather, acts of God, natural disasters, strikes or hauler service disruptions, shall not trigger a reduced Cedar Hills Regional Direct fee at the Cedar Hills regional landfill.
The following fees shall be used, based on the duration of the closure:
One-day disruption $125 per ton
Two-day disruption $100 per ton
Three or more days of disruption $75 per ton))
E.1. In the event of a temporary closure of one or more King County transfer stations to solid waste collection entities, excluding drop box facilities, when the solid waste division has provided fewer than five days' notice to solid waste collection entities, the division director is authorized to apply a credit to the solid waste collection entity per-ton-vehicle rate for the duration of a unplanned temporary closure of twenty-four hours or longer. A closure resulting from causes beyond the control of the solid waste division, such as severe weather, acts of God, natural disasters, strikes or hauler service disruptions, shall not trigger a credit.
2. The credit that shall be used for the closure of one transfer station is $20.00 per ton for one or more day of disruption.
3. The following credits shall be used for the closure of two or more transfer stations, based on the duration of the closure:
a. One-day disruption: $70.00 per ton;
b. Two-day disruption: $94.00 per ton; and
c. Three or more days of disruption: $120.00 per ton.
4. The credits under subsection E.2. and 3. of this section apply to loads delivered at the county owned facilities to which King County reroutes solid waste collection entities during a disruption and will be granted only upon receipt of scale ticket documentation submitted to the solid waste division from the solid waste collection entities within five business days following the resumption of normal operations.
F. A moderate-risk waste surcharge shall be added to all solid waste disposed by nonsolid waste collection entities using county operated solid waste facilities. The fee schedule is as follows:
1. For facilities with scales:
Per-ton-rate vehicles $5.84 per ton
Minimum charge $2.23 per entry
Fixed-rate vehicle $2.23 per entry
2. For facilities without scales:
Compacted $1.28 per cubic yard
Uncompacted $0.73 per cubic yard
Minimum charge $2.23 per entry
Fixed-rate vehicles $2.23 per entry
((F.)) G. As determined by the division director, a special waste fee shall be charged for special waste including asbestos-containing waste material and other wastes requiring clearances in accordance with King County Board of Health Code Title 10 or rules adopted by the department. The fee schedule is as follows:
Special waste fee (($275.14)) $299.00 per ton
Special waste fee minimum charge (($44.02)) $47.78 per entry
Special waste fee, extra handling (($321.01)) $349.00 per ton
Special waste fee, extra handling
Minimum charge (($51.36)) $55.98 per entry
((G.)) H. In the absence of exact weights or measurements, the estimate by the division director is binding upon the user.
((H.)) I. The division director may establish fees for handling and processing of recyclable materials for which no other fee has been established by ordinance. The fees need not recover the full cost of handling and processing.
SECTION 2. This ordinance takes effect January 1, 2027.