Sanitation costs rise as Brooksville switches disposal sites; council discusses standardized bins

Richard (S9), speaking for utilities and sanitation, told council the sanitation line item for waste disposal increased from roughly $460,000 in last year’s budget to $607,000 in the proposed budget. He attributed the increase to selecting Hernando County disposal services instead of a more distant hauling arrangement and to pricing that follows the Consumer Price Index.

Councilmembers asked whether the increase reflected fuel surcharges or other pass‑throughs; staff said Hernando County’s rates follow CPI and that disposal rates have risen across the region. Richard noted staff is negotiating an interlocal fuel agreement with Hernando County to obtain bulk fuel at a lower per‑gallon price and estimated the landfill/county rate increase at about 4.7% this year.

On collection operations, staff described a project to standardize residential garbage bins and retrofit trucks with lift‑assist equipment. The proposed enterprise CIP included line items totaling about $30,000 for new standardized bins and bin retrofits; staff and council framed those as enterprise‑funded investments that could yield future labor savings, reduce worker injuries and provide predictable disposal weights for estimating tipping fees. Council agreed to prioritize the enterprise CIP items and said final spending would return for council approval.