SAN DIEGO—Following a lengthy, boisterous meeting, the San Diego City Council on June 9 passed a solid-waste fee, breaking a 106-year-old precedent of the city not charging single-family homeowners a fee for trash pickup.
Starting July 1, homeowners in the city will be charged $42.76 a month for three 95-gallon cans—one for trash, one for recycling, and one for organics such as yard waste or food scraps—regardless of how much waste they produce. According to the city, around 85 percent of city residents use the three 95-gallon plan, but those who do not can select a different plan in July and every payer will receive new bins in October….