Victor Zambrano, Administrative Services Supervisor for Environmental Resources, presented Ordinance No. 3071 to the Oxnard City Council on Dec. 16, 2025, recommending amendments to single-family residential solid-waste rates after staff removed a cost-based infrastructure use fee (IUF) in response to a recent court decision.

Zambrano said staff "has determined the city should abide by the Redlands case holding and remove the IUF from the ER division's SFR rate," and described administrative adjustments to monthly single-family rates. The changes reduce the 64-gallon, three-cart service from $43.23 to $39.63; the 96-gallon, three-cart service from $52.11 to $47.76; and extra 96-gallon cart service from $26.88 to $24.63.

Why it matters: the IUF had been included in the ER division's single-family rates after a 2021 ruling that a properly structured, cost-based IUF could comply with Proposition 218 and Vehicle Code section 9400.8. Staff told the council that a later Court of Appeal decision in the Redlands case (June 2025), and the California Supreme Court's denial of review in August 2025, created a direct conflict with that 2021 ruling and prompted the change.

Staff also summarized earlier work: it presented an IUF compliance report to council on March 4, 2025, estimating the ER component of the IUF at about $2,000,000 annually. Zambrano said that, from Jan. 1, 2025, through October 2025, roughly $1,700,000 was collected for the IUF component and currently remains in the Environmental Resources (ER) fund rather than the Street Maintenance fund.

Timing and next steps: staff said the rate adjustments were made administratively in October 2025 and will be carried forward because the council-approved cost-of-service rate changes are in place through fiscal year "28-29" as stated in the presentation. Ordinance No. 3071 had its first reading on Nov. 18, 2025 and, if adopted by the council, would take effect on Jan. 15, 2026. The transcript of this presentation does not record a final council vote on adoption.

Financial implications: staff warned that lowering the single-family residential rates reduces ER revenues and that prior IUF transfers from ER to the Street Maintenance fund had been used to pay for pavement maintenance related to ER truck activity; staff said the reduction in Street Maintenance fund revenue will likely have an impact on planned street-paving capital improvement projects.

The presentation concluded with staff opening the floor to questions. The council's formal action on Ordinance No. 3071 was listed on the agenda; a recorded vote and motion text were not included in the provided transcript.