Residents will pay the City of Lawrence about $1.50 more per month on average, or $18 more per year, for trash service and stormwater in 2025.
Commercial solid waste rates will also increase between 5% and 9.5% in 2025.
“The model increases rates at a higher level on Commercial, Downtown and Roll-off services to address the actual costs to provide these services,” according to the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting agenda. “Single-family and multi-family rates have historically been offsetting the costs for these service lines. The proposed rate increases work to incrementally balance the inequity between residential and commercial charges for service over the next several years.”
Single-family homes’ solid waste rates will increase by 88 cents per month, or about 4%, to $22.76 from $21.88. Rates for multifamily homes serviced by dumpsters will increase by 68 cents, to $17.72 from $17.04, according to the agenda.
Stormwater rates are calculated by ERUs, or equivalent residential unit, and “One ERU represents 2,366 square feet of impervious surface, which are surfaces such as pavement or roofs that do not allow for water to pass through and thus runs off into the City’s stormwater system,” according to the agenda.
Most homes are 1 to 1.25 ERU, according to the agenda. The rate for 1 ERU will increase by 60 cents per month, to $8.54 from $7.94.
The city’s revenues from solid waste will increase by about $1.22 million in 2025, and revenues from stormwater rates will increase about $500,000. The anticipated additional funds were included as part of the budget the city commission approved in September, according to the meeting agenda items.
Lawrence city commissioners gave unanimous initial approval to the rate changes on Tuesday and will likely give the new rates final approval as part of their consent agenda at their next meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 3. Rates will take effect Jan. 1.
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