Cotati residents will see their garbage rates rise starting in January - but because of a mistake by the garbage company, they will have realized a small discount for nine months of 2010.
Under the new rate plan, the monthly cost for a 20-gallon can would climb from $7.58 a month to $7.84 monthly.
Marsha Sue Lustig, assistant to the city manager, told the council Wednesday that North Bay Corp. "neglected" last year to implement an approved rate increase of 4.34 percent in 2010.
North Bay Corp's proposal, which the council agreed, was that it would swallow the nine months of missing revenue and raise fees in 2011 enough to recover three months of the fees that never took effect.
"Cotati ratepayers will have enjoyed a rate reduction for the first three quarters of 2010," Lustig said.
The savings for the year amounted to $2.88 for ratepayers with a 20-gallon can. But they amounted to as much as $100 for some businesses, she said.
The 3.41 percent rate hike and is to take effect Jan. 1.
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