The City Council has approved an increase of 48 cents a month in the residential garbage collection rates to fund the annual spring and fall cleanups. The new rate, effective immediately, will raise collection costs from $15.42 to $15.90 a month.
The council had considered keeping rates the same and discontinuing the cleanups but voted unanimously to keep them and go with the rate increase.Mayor Neldon Hamblin said the cleanup periods probably keep illegal garbage dumping in the city to a minimum and supported the rate increase to keep the tradition going.
City manager Jack Bippes said Clearfield cannot absorb these new cleanup costs without a rate increase.
The Davis Solid Waste Management District recently increased its rates during the annual spring and fall cleanup periods, requiring the city increase. Instead of allowing free dumping by both residents and cities during specified periods twice each year, the district will now charge residents $3 a pickup load during the periods and the cities $32 a ton.