BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN – The fate of a proposed solid waste collection fee increase will remain in the balance until June 3 after the Auburn City Council on Tuesday postponed a vote on amending the city ordinance.
The city has not increased its solid waste disposal fees since 2014, which was the final year of a multi-year price increase. The last time the Auburn City Council voted to increase the city’s solid waste disposal fees was 2011.
If approved, the total increase for residential customers would be $8.50 per month, from $23.50 to $32 even. That amounts to a 36 percent increase.
The increase will also impact local business. The proposed rate increase for the collection of one 96-gallon cart will rise to $39.75 per month for a weekly pickup per week and $79.50 per month for a twice-weekly pickup.
That postponement came as council members sought to give Auburn residents additional time to learn how the increase could impact their households and businesses.
According to Mayor Ron Anders, the number of new customers Auburn has started serving since the last fee increase has risen by 7,000. With more than a decade having passed since the last rate increase, city officials said the other budgets have suffered as a result.
“Effectively the citizens of Auburn are subsidizing all solid waste collection for everyone in the city who receives it, because there is not enough money collected from the current charges of 10 years ago to fund the operation,” City Manager Megan McGowen Crouch said. “That doesn’t mean it’s a negative situation, it’s how we account for it, so in essence the [city’s] general fund subsidizes [the difference].”
Despite there not being a vote, some council members telegraphed a willingness to approve the proposed increase on the grounds that it would likely improve the city’s financial health moving forward.
“Typically, you want a three-month type reserve, but we’re looking at only keeping a possibly one-month reserve on this particular account. Which further proves the point that we’re really just trying to cover what our bases are and a little bit of cushion,” said Ward 7 Council Member Max Coblentz.
State law mandates that municipalities increase the price of services in accordance with the increase of costs to provide those services.
In other news, the council resolved several other items of business:
- The council announced a single vacancy on the Indian Pines Public Park Authority. That term begins on June 21 and ends on June 20, 2029. The council will make an appointment at its June 3 meeting.
- The council announced changes to its July 2025 meeting dates. Those meetings were originally scheduled to be held on July 1 and July 15 and will now be held on July 8 and July 22.
- The council approved the 2024 Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Annual Report and authorized its submission to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
- The council approved an $85,000 contract with Foresite Group for a standard master agreement to study the Richland Park master plan.
- The council accepted various public easements and public rights-of-way from Herring Development at the Rockhouse Farms subdivision. That property is located north of Bridlewood Drive and east of Creekwood Trail.
- The council accepted various public easements and public right-of-way from Parmer Development at The Arbors. That property is located at the south end of Arbor Drive.
- The council accepted various public easements and public rights-of-way from SMB Land at Beltona at Old Samford. That property is located at the end of Shadow Bend Lane and Kennesaw Lane.
- The council accepted a sidewalk and utility easement Venture Solutions Group.
- The council accepted public easements from Bragg Partners at 350 Bragg Ave.
- The council approved a concurrence with Dixie Electric Cooperative for the sale of 15.7 acres. That land will be used to build an electrical substation.
- The council approved a $250,000 contract with the Alabama Department of Transportation for a preliminary engineering and construction agreement. That agreement covers the installation of traffic cameras along Interstate 85 from Exit 50 to Exit 58.
- The council approved an $88,800 contract with Kadre Engineering for the North Donahue Drive Widening Project. That project will see North Donahue Drive widened from Shug Jordan Parkway to Saugahatchee Creek.
- The council approved a $302,900 contract with Musco Sports Lighting for the purchase of LED lights for the Yarbrough Tennis Center’s indoor courts. Auburn University will reimburse the city for 85% of that cost.
- The council approved a $586,405 contract with Tyler Technologies for the purchase of the company’s public safety software suite.