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Allow sender | Block sender <br />From:Joshua Brooks <br />To:PWS-Adrian Lee; GRP-City Council <br />Cc:info@rethinkwaste.org <br />Subject:Request for Data and Cost Breakdown Regarding Proposed Solid Waste Rate Increases <br />Date:Saturday, September 27, 2025 11:47:21 PM <br />Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization. <br />You don't often get email from joshua.c.brooks@gmail.com. Learn why this is important <br />City Clerk and Members of the City Council: <br />I am writing as a Redwood City resident and customer of Recology San Mateo County to <br />express concern that the proposed solid waste rate increases appear to unfairly penalize <br />residents who generate less trash and use smaller carts. Under the plan, all cart sizes would <br />increase by the same $6.00 per month, which means customers with 20- or 32-gallon carts are <br />facing much steeper increases on a per-gallon basis compared to those with larger carts. In <br />effect, residents who reduce waste and choose smaller bins are being punished rather than <br />rewarded. <br />While the notice outlines the proposed monthly rate adjustments, it does not provide sufficient <br />transparency into the underlying cost structure or justification for this flat increase. In order <br />to meaningfully evaluate and, if necessary, prepare an alternative proposal for rate <br />adjustments, I respectfully request the following data: <br />1. Operational Cost Breakdown <br />Itemized costs for disposal/processing fees, labor, fuel, vehicle maintenance, <br />administrative overhead, and capital expenses. <br />Profit margin or return on investment allowed under the franchise agreement. <br />Changes in these categories over the last five years. <br />2. Service-Level Data <br />Number of residential customers by cart size (20, 32, 64, 96 gallons). <br />Collection efficiency metrics (tonnage collected per cart size, route productivity, missed <br />pickups). <br />Data on frequency and cost of unscheduled service events (bulky item pickup, container <br />relocation, return trips). <br />3. Historical Trends <br />Rate schedules and total system costs from the past 5–10 years. <br />Records comparing projected vs actual costs following prior rate increases.