NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CONCERNING PROPOSED RATE INCREASES
TO SOLID WASTE SERVICE FEES
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens (the “City”) will conduct a Public Hearing on August 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber in the City Hall, located at 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, California 90716, or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, to consider adopting increases and adjustments in the current rates for its Solid Waste Service Fees.
REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASES
In 2018, the City awarded an exclusive solid waste collection franchise. On November 19, 2019, the City reassigned the exclusive solid waste collection franchise to Waste Resources, Inc. (“WRI”) from the previous service provider, and has served as the City’s exclusive waste hauler, until just recently.
On October 22, 2025, the Hawaiian Gardens City Council adopted RESOLUTION NO. 031-2025, consenting to a second reassignment of the exclusive solid waste collection franchise, this time to Waste Management (“WM”), which took effect on May 1, 2026.
WM now serves as the Exclusive Solid Waste Collection Services provider for Hawaiian Gardens.
Pursuant to RESOLUTION NO. 031-2025, WM assumed all rights, liabilities, title and interest in the Exclusive Solid Waste Services Franchise Agreement (“Agreement”), dated July 1, 2018, and all Amendments thereto, and agreed to perform all obligations and liabilities due thereunder.
Under the Agreement, WM is responsible for all aspects of solid waste services in Hawaiian Gardens, including the collection and handling of solid waste and green waste, food scrap waste, and recyclables (collectively, “Solid Waste Services”).
All properties within the City are required to subscribe to the Solid Waste Services provided by WM, for which Solid Waste Service Fees are imposed on customers who receive said services from WM; and customers are billed directly for the services.
WM accepted the existing rates for Solid Waste Services (“Solid Waste Service Rates”) currently in place but is entitled to request an annual rate adjustment to be applied on the anniversary date of the Agreement (i.e., July 1st), during the Term thereof. All rate adjustment requests are subject to City approval prior to application, provided that such approval complies with the requirements of Proposition 218 and the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act.
Subject to these parameters, the City has determined that it is necessary to increase the Solid Waste Service Rates that WM may impose on its solid waste customers.
PROPOSED SOLID WASTE SERVICE RATES
The rate structure for Solid Waste Services includes three customer classes: Residential, Commercial and Multi-Family, and Industrial (Roll-Off). Rates are determined based on the type of service provided, the size and type of container used for collection of waste, and the frequency of collection.
Customers may request certain on-call services, such as bulky pick-up (Commercial) as well as E-Waste and U-Waste collection. Such services are charged a fixed service fee, plus an additional fee per item disposed.
If adopted, the proposed rates set forth in Exhibit A would be in effect from October 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027 (the “Base year”) and would remain in effect through June 30, 3031, subject to the annual rate adjustment provisions described herein.
Attachment A
During said five (5) year period, Solid Waste Service Rates charged in the City may not exceed those reflected in the rate tables contained in Exhibit A, subject to the annual rate adjustment provisions described herein.
Annual Rate Adjustments
The Solid Waste Service Rates reflected in Exhibit A may be adjusted annually on July 1st, based on two (2) cost factors: (1) Changes in the Consumer Price Index; and (2) Disposal Facility Tipping Fees, and would occur automatically during said five-year period. However, any rate adjustment would remain subject to the 30-day advance notice requirement under Government Code Section 53756(d), as amended from time to time.
The application of said cost factors would apply to the Solid Waste Service Rates charged in all service sectors, including permanent and temporary clean-up bins and roll-off services, formulated as follows:
CPI. Rates may be adjusted for inflation based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) for All Urban Consumers (CUUR0000SA0), All Items, not seasonally adjusted – U.S. City Average for the twelve (12) month period ending on the date of March 31st, immediately prior to the applicable rate adjustment.
DISPOSAL. The costs of disposal at solid waste landfills and/or other facilities generally located in Los Angeles County may be passed through to customers to account for any increase in the per ton tipping fees imposed on WM by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and/or any other public agency for disposal and/or processing of solid waste.
For the Base Year of July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, WM has only requested a cost-of-living increase, based on the CPI; no increase is being sought at this time for increases in Disposal costs.
PROPOSED 2026/2027 RATE ADJUSTMENT PER CPI
Commercial: 3.26%
Multi-Family: 3.26%
Roll-Off: 3.26%
Residential: 3.26%
PUBLIC HEARING AND PROTESTS
Any record owner of a parcel upon which the Solid Waste Service Fees are proposed for imposition and any tenant directly liable for the payment of Solid Waste Service Fees (i.e., a customer of record) may submit a written protest to the proposed rate increases to the City’s Solid Waste Service Fees; provided, however, only one written protest will be counted per identified parcel. Any written protest must: (1) state that the identified property owner or tenant opposes the proposed rate increases to the Solid Waste Service Fees; (2) provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number); and (3) include the name and signature of the property owner or tenant submitting the protest. Written protests may be submitted by mail or in person to the City Clerk at 21815 Pioneer Boulevard, Hawaiian Gardens, California 90716, or at the Public Hearing (date and time noted above), provided they are received prior to the close of the Public Hearing, which will occur when the public testimony on the proposed increases and adjustments is concluded. Any protest submitted via e-mail or other electronic means will not be accepted. Please identify on the front of the envelope for any written protest, whether mailed or submitted in person to the City Clerk, Attn: Public Hearing on Solid Waste Rate Increases.
The City Council will hear and consider all written protests and oral comments to the proposed rate increases at the Public Hearing. Oral comments at the Public Hearing will not qualify as formal protests unless accompanied by a written protest. Upon the conclusion of the Public Hearing, the City Council will consider adoption of a resolution authorizing the rate increases to the City’s Solid Waste Service Fees as described in this notice. If written protests against the proposed rate increases and adjustments to the Solid Waste Service Fees as outlined above are not presented by a majority of property owners of the identified parcels and tenants upon which the Solid Waste Service Fees are proposed to be imposed, the City Council will be authorized to impose the respective rate increases and adjustments. If adopted, the proposed rate increases to the Solid Waste Service Fees will be in effect beginning October 1, 2026. Please note that the City is conducting this majority protest proceeding in an abundance of caution and without conceding the applicability of Proposition 218 to privately provided solid waste service.
For further details regarding the basis and reasons for the proposed rate increases and/or WM Pass-Through Adjustments to the City’s Solid Waste Service Fees, please contact the City’s Public Works Department at [email protected].
Exhibit A
PROPOSED MAXIMUM RATES FOR BASE YEAR 2026/2027
(Effective October 1, 2026)
* Standard service is billed quarterly by WM. Additional charges are billed by WM to customer on a monthly basis. ** Bin Compactors are billed at twice the price of uncompacted trash (not on FA's rate sheet)