(a) All permit fees, charges for services and fees for use of approved County solid waste facilities shall be paid as specified in the San Bernardino County Code Schedule of Fees.
(b) Payment of Permit Fees. Any of the fees pertaining to this Article may be prorated on a quarterly basis when applied to an additional vehicle for which a permit is requested. When a Class A Permit holder engages in refuse collection operations in more than one refuse collection area, a separate Class A Permit shall be required for each refuse collection area in which it operates. The minimum permit fee shall be as specified in the San Bernardino County Code Schedule of Fees.
Fees for vehicles shall be prepaid for the permit period for which application for a Class A Permit has been made. Unused portions of such fees may be refunded, prorated on a quarterly basis, to the Class A Permit holder in the event said vehicle(s) should be discontinued from use in the business, upon proper written notice to Department.
(c) Transfer of Class A Permits Between Vehicles. Where any vehicle operating under a valid current Class A Permit is replaced by another vehicle, the Class A Permit may be transferred to the replacement vehicle upon payment of a transfer fee as specified in Chapter 2 of Division 6 of Title 1 of the San Bernardino County Code contingent upon any required inspection and approval of the new vehicle by the Department.
(d) Basis for Class A Permit holder’s Charges. All charges for services by Class A permittees shall be nondiscriminatory and uniform for equal services rendered. Charges shall be reasonably based upon the number of containers, type of refuse, whether compacted or loose, number of separate pick-up points at any place of collection, placement of container or distance of carry-out, frequency of collection, remote location, geographical terrain and whether residential, commercial or industrial collection. An inclusive rate schedule shall be filed with Department by each permit holder as a condition of approval of any permit issued or renewed.
(e) Rate Adjustments. Annual and special rate adjustments shall be made in accordance with the adopted policy of the Board of Supervisors.
(f) Reasonable Rates. Any subscriber who believes an unreasonable charge has been billed for collection service may file a written complaint with Department setting forth the facts of such alleged overcharge. Department shall notify the refuse collector of such complaints and conduct a hearing in accordance with Chapter 2 of Division 3 of Title 3 of the San Bernardino County Code, if requested to do so, to determine the reasonableness of the charge for such service. In such a hearing, the subscriber shall bear the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence.
(g) Verification of Rates. Department shall review and maintain a continuous evaluation of refuse collection operating costs and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors as to the reasonableness of a Class A Permit holder’s rates and whether they are nondiscriminating and uniform for equal service.
(Ord. 3671, passed - -1996)