CRRA2019

Principal

Garth Schultz is a Pricincipal with R3 Consulting Group, leading the firms Berkeley office. His  areas of expertise include rate setting and rate adjustment, C&D facility evaluations, financial planning, legislative compliance, and performance audits. He has four years of experience as a consultant with R3, preceeded by 8 years of local solid waste and enviromental management. He has worked for haulers, universities, non-profits, and fundraising organizations.

As California adjusts to the new market realities of China's National Sword, the requirements of SB 1383 and other state legislation, and continued growth in the amout of waste generated per capita, local governments will be faced with the need to increase rates charged to customers for solid waste collection services. 

Many local governments have recently considered and passed large rate increases, with many of those rate increases being in the range of 10% to 60% or more in a single year. This presentation will present and discuss the best practices for evaluation, elected body consideration, and successful passage of such large rate increases while minimizing public criticism and protest. Best practices to be presented and discussed include but are not limited to:

- Establish fair and meaningful comparisons of rates accross communities and clearly identifying reasons for different rates in different areas; 

- Review the efficiency of solid waste operations in advance of rate increases, including opportunities to increase efficiency; 

- Detail what rate-payers are getting for their rates, and strive for high-customer satisfaction with the services provided; 

- Clearly describe the key reasons for the rate increases, and what if any alternatives their are; 

- Be a "bean counter" but not only a bean counter - present findings and recommendations in ways that policy makers and community members can understand; 

- Be in front of policy makers and community members more often - and well before the rate increases are necessary! 

We are open to making a full panel out of this topic if desired.