Cottage Grove Garbage Service responds

from Tim Alverson, Cottage Grove Garbage Service, general manager/owner

Cottage Grove Garbage Service is responding to recent statements by Lane County suggesting that the company that serves as the franchised hauler for the city of Cottage Grove “refuses” to dispose of solid waste collected within the city of Cottage Grove at Lane County’s Short Mountain landfill and implying that this decision is a contributing factor to reductions in county services caused by a budget deficit.

That characterization omits an important fact: Lane County’s disposal fees are approximately 36% higher than the disposal option Cottage Grove Garbage Service currently uses for solid waste generated in the city of Cottage Grove.

Cottage Grove Garbage Service has a responsibility to provide reliable and cost-effective service to its customers. The financial benefit of using a lower-cost disposal option is passed on to the ratepayers within the city of Cottage Grove.

The decision to utilize a more economical disposal option is not a refusal to support Lane County. It is a responsible business decision made in the interest of the customers we serve—which include Lane County residents, businesses and non-profits.

When a public disposal facility charges substantially more than available alternatives, waste haulers with access to lawful and economically viable disposal options must consider those alternatives. Lane County’s pricing decisions have made Short Mountain less competitive for haulers that have other disposal choices.

It is therefore misleading to suggest that haulers choosing lower-cost disposal options are responsible for Lane County’s budget challenges without acknowledging the significant difference in disposal costs that influenced those decisions.

Lane County establishes its own disposal rates and manages its own budget. Cottage Grove Garbage Service does not set Lane County’s disposal fees, nor does it control the County’s financial decisions.

We believe the public deserves a complete explanation of this issue.

The central question is not why Cottage Grove Garbage Service would choose a lawful disposal option that costs approximately 36% less and benefits local ratepayers. The appropriate question is why Lane County’s disposal rates have become sufficiently uncompetitive that haulers with other options are economically incentivized to take their waste elsewhere.

Cottage Grove Garbage Service remains committed to providing dependable service while responsibly managing costs on behalf of the residents and businesses of Cottage Grove.

We welcome a factual and transparent discussion about waste disposal costs, county policies, and the decisions that affect local ratepayers. That discussion should include all relevant facts and should not place responsibility for Lane County’s budget challenges on businesses that make lawful and financially responsible decisions that benefit the customers they serve.