The Moab City Council voted Tuesday, Aug. 13 to hold a public hearing on a proposed rate increase requested by Bob’s Sanitation, the Moab-based company that provides garbage collection services to city residents and businesses.
The issue of the rate increase initially came before the city council in May when Robert Hawks, president of Bob’s Sanitation, first asked the city to approve a fee hike for garbage pickup services. Because the request was made during the term of the existing contract with Bob’s Sanitation, city council members requested that the company provide documentation proving the need to raise rates immediately, rather than waiting until the contract comes up for renewal in December.
According to a letter Hawks sent to the city council, Bob’s Sanitation has operated for the past seven years without imposing any rate increases.
“Due to many price increases for fuel, tires, insurance, taxes, steel, utilities, and the cost of manpower ... I do feel that this request is fair and reasonable,” Hawks wrote in the letter. “This rate increase will cost our residential customers $12 ... a year more.”
Hawks said he is requesting approximately a 6.25 percent increase in rates.
“We did round off to simplify the billing process,” he wrote.
Hawks requested that the rate increase go into effect “as soon as possible,” if approved by the city council.
City council members voted unanimously to send the rate review to a public hearing. That hearing will be held Aug. 27 at approximately 7:15 p.m. at the Moab City Council chambers in City Center, 217. E. Center St.