An ordinance to increase trash fees for City of Lawrence residents was introduced during the June 3 regular Lawrence Common Council meeting and will be considered for approval June 26.
The ordinance calls for a monthly trash and recycling collection fee of $17.50 per household, with a senior discount of $5 per month for residents 65 or older. That fee, which the ordinance states will take effect this year, would increase by 60 cents each January.
In November 2023, as the city began transitioning to its new trash collection provider, Priority Waste, Lawrence officials stated that monthly rates would remain the same — $15 per residence, with a senior rate of $9 per month.
Lawrence Deputy Chief of Staff LeAndre Level said in a telephone interview that when the city’s previous administration negotiated the contract with Priority, costs to the city went up but then-Mayor Steve Collier’s administration chose to not propose a rate increase at that time.
Level said city officials will give a presentation for the public and the council during the June 26 meeting to fully explain the need for a rate increase.
Although the city could add on an administrative fee, Level said “the city is asking for a minimum impact adjustment for residents so we can meet the cost of service of this contract.”
Level said the rate adjustment must be approved by July 1 to take effect.
The proposed ordinance also would set a fee of $4 per month for additional trash or recycling containers — an increase from the current rate of $1.25 per month — $2 apiece for overage tags for items that don’t fit into a container and $60 for replacement containers.
The ordinance is scheduled to be reviewed by the council’s committee of the whole at 5:30 p.m. June 26, which is when the presentation will take place. A regular Lawrence Common Council meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m., when the council can vote on the matter.
Both meetings take place at Lawrence Government Center, 9001 E. 59th St., and will be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page, facebook.com/cityoflawrencein.
