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2632 Monte Carlo Dr <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92706 <br /> Tue May 17, 2022 <br /> Santa Ana City Council <br /> 22 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Dear City Council Members, <br /> I'm writing this in response to the Notice of Public Hearing on the upcoming waste collection rates. As a Santa <br /> Ana resident of a multifamily (condo) community, I'm very concerned to see this list of proposed rates.They <br /> represent a very large increase on the already high rates our association currently pays, and the entirety of the <br /> increase appears to be borne by multifamily customers, not residential bin customers. <br /> First, the disparity. Multifamily customers already pay significantly more for trash collection than residential <br /> customers. We currently have a 2yd bin serviced twice a week for each 8 units. This costs us about $295 per <br /> bin per month all told. If we were 8 residential homes instead, the monthly cost would be only$183/mo <br /> (22.94*8) even though this is more bins for WM or Republic to service —8/wk vs 2/wk. <br /> But in fact, it's WORSE than that. Residential customers see NO increase to their rates to accommodate the <br /> new recycling and organics requirements—still paying only $22.94/mo. Meanwhile, the cheapest available <br /> bins for organics and recycling will add $75 per bin to our bill. Adding 8 recycling and 8 organics bins will add <br /> $150/8 units, an increase of nearly 50%. <br /> Our trash bill will go up by$15,000 a year, and that only includes the hauling fees. We also have significant <br /> capital expenses due to the need to remodel the bin areas to accommodate two more bins at each location. <br /> This will cost us tens of thousands more in construction costs. <br /> It's plain that many of the people who will pay these higher rates will be occupants of apartments whose <br /> owners and managers will have to increase rent to pay these bills. These are the residents of Santa Ana least <br /> able to bear the burden of higher bills. And all this to spare owners of single family residences ANY increase in <br /> their trash bills. Santa Ana is balancing this trash contract on the backs of its most vulnerable residents in <br /> order to aid its wealthiest. This should concern the Council and all residents of our city. I hope you'll consider <br /> going back to the drawing board and coming up with a more equitable distribution of increased costs that will <br /> have a//of our residents help to shoulder the burden, not just multifamily residents. We all know costs have <br /> gone up lately. There's no reason owning a detached home should give you a free pass to avoid cost increases. <br /> Thank you for considering this comment. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Joseph Benson <br />