HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/19/2022 Item 6c, FrauenheimMarch 10, 2022
City of San Luis Obispo
Attn: City Clerk
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249
San Luis Obispo City Council,
This letter provides a written protest to the Proposed Solid Waste Rate Increase. The proposed increase
of 17.75 percent is excessive and out of line with the general consumer increase in costs and inflation as
documented in the recent Consumer Price Index.
I recognize that the state of California has passed recent legislation that requires changes to ensure
compliance and that those changes incur additional costs. It is also recognized that reasonable wage
increases for the employees are important to both retain existing staff and attract new qualified
employees. The staff do a great job and need to be paid fairly. Those are acceptable increases. It would
be reasonable, however, that these necessary increases, in aggregate, not exceed recent Consumer
Price Index levels of just under 6%. In other words, keep the total rate increase around this level.
The cost increase basis provided in the notice appears to be taking advantage of current general
inflation levels to cumulatively add in all of the nice -to-do's and justify one large increase. Bullet point
number 6 adds a 5.61% increase for "other operations expenses" (these are not explained and need to
be) and a "Consumer Price Index" increase of 5.3 %. The CPI is not an actual cost and is simply a
reflection of the cost increases in bullets 1-5. Bullet 6 is a disingenuous and insulting grab for
unnecessary funding.
Please register this letter as a written protest against the Solid Waste Rate Increase.
Sincerely,
Mark Frauenheim
IVNR 1. P??
SLO CITY CLE