Lawrence council will consider increasing waste charges.

The City of Lawrence has changed suppliers to Priority Waste effective December 2023. (File photo)

An ordinance to increase trash fees for City of Lawrence residents was presented at the Lawrence Common Council’s regular meeting on June 3 and will be considered for approval on June 26.

The ordinance provides for a monthly trash and recycling collection fee of $17.50 per household, with a senior citizen discount of $5 per month for residents 65 or older. Those fees, which the ordinance says will go into effect this year, would increase by 60 cents each January.

In November 2023, as the city began transitioning to its new waste collection provider, Priority Waste, Lawrence officials said monthly rates would remain the same: $15 per residence, with a senior rate of $9 per month.

Lawrence’s 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 increased, but that the mayor’s administration at the time, Steve Collier, chose not to propose a rate increase at that time.

Level said city officials will make a presentation to the public and council at the June 26 meeting to fully explain the need for a rate increase.

Although the city may add an administrative fee, Level said “the city is requesting a minimum impact adjustment for residents so that we can cover the cost of servicing this contract.”

Level said the rate adjustment must be approved by July 1 to take effect.

The proposed ordinance would also 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 each for excess labels for items that do not fit in a container and $60 for replacement containers. .

The ordinance is scheduled to be considered by the council’s committee of the whole at 5:30 p.m. on June 26, when the presentation will take place. A regular meeting of the Lawrence Common Council will follow at 6:30 p.m., when the council can vote on the matter.

Both meetings will be held at the Lawrence Government Center, 9001 E. 59th St., and will be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page, facebook.com/cityoflawrencein.