Monterey County supervisors approved a rate adjustment for refuse service under the county’s Unified Franchise Agreement (UFA) and directed staff to continue evaluating commercial‑rate disparities.

Environmental Health Director Rick Encarnacion and Assistant Bureau Chief Marnie Flagg presented Waste Management’s 2026 refuse‑rate index adjustments and recommended Amendment 1 to the UFA to incorporate the increases. Flagg described the refuse rate index (RRI) components — labor, diesel/CNG fuel, vehicle replacements, pass‑through fees and landfill tipping fees — and said the county removed bad debt from the calculation this year. After contracting a consultant to review the submission, staff concluded the proposed adjustments fall within industry norms.

The proposed increases were 5.03% for the Monterey Regional Waste Management District and 6.05% for the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority region. Supervisors asked how the changes compared with prior years and welcomed the removal of bad debt from the calculation as a moderating factor.

In public comment, Patrick Matthews urged continuing work on long‑standing commercial‑rate differentials between the Salinas Valley and coastal jurisdictions, saying prior analyses showed a sizable disparity. The board moved to follow staff recommendations and approved Amendment 1 by voice vote.

Staff said a separate commercial‑rate disparity analysis is underway and a draft is expected by the end of the year.