CHARITIES NOW PAY FOR TRASH.

Byline: Eugene Tong  Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Local charities that once enjoyed free trash pickup are now seeing the bill for the first time as the city's new commercial trash hauler begins service.

The City Council awarded Fontana-based Burrtec Waste Industries the $35 million contract last year with the intention of lowering consumers' trash bills. Most local businesses reported decreases of $60 or more when the first bills went out last month.

But nonprofit groups are being billed for trash pickup once donated free-of-charge by the city's longtime trash hauler Blue Barrel Disposal Co. The firm lost the commercial contract last year, but retains the $70 million residential contract.

Among the charities, the Santa Clarita Valley Boys & Girls Club received a monthly trash bill for $250. The Santa Clarita Child & Family Center was charged $175. The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, with an annual budget of about $10,000, was billed $60 a month.

Commercial trash rates range from $37.75 to empty a 90-gallon cart once a week, to $642.76 for daily pickup of a 6-cubic-yard container.

``We always found Blue Barrel to be a friend of the club,'' said Bryan Lake, director of administration at the Boys & Girls Club. ``We get spoiled with some of the great donors and volunteers.''

``We didn't budget it,'' said Liz Seipel, chief executive at the Child & Family Center. ``We didn't know how it was going to work out.''

Repeated calls seeking comment from Burrtec officials Tuesday and Wednesday were not returned.

Close to a year after the City Council unanimously voted to contract with Burrtec, Councilman Cameron Smyth said Tuesday he stands by the decision, which also requires the trash hauler to build a state-of-the-art recycling facility, scheduled to open in 2006.

``The way the contract has been worked out, it's been a benefit for residents and businesses, just as we hoped,'' he said.

As for the donated services for charities, it was not a factor during bidding and contract negotiations, Smyth said.

``The decisions for free service of nonprofits or anyone else is a decision for the company,'' he said. ``Waste Management(-owned) Blue Barrel made that decision independent from the city, and Burrtec has to make that decision for itself.

``If it's within their business model to provide free services to nonprofits, that's a nice gesture. But I'm not in the business of telling private individuals what to do with their bottom line.''

As an active supporter of local charities and school districts, Blue Barrel enjoyed tremendous community support. At a trash contract hearing last October, dozens of residents and civic leaders urged the City Council to retain the company as the city's exclusive trash hauler.

But Burrtec also has contributed to nonprofits since securing the contract, including a $2,000 contribution in the Child & Family Center fund- raiser, Seipel said.

Meantime, local nonprofits are trying to squeeze the unexpected expense into their budgets and have asked Burrtec to continue free trash pickup.

``When we got the bill, we called them and they asked us to write a letter,'' Seipel said. ``We wrote a letter requesting they donate to follow in Blue Barrel's footsteps.''

While the Child & Family Center has a $7.2 million annual budget, more than 86 percent of the funds are spent on serving the emotionally disturbed children and families seeking aid at their five offices.

``We run a pretty tight ship,'' Seipel said. ``Every dollar we spent away from administration is taken up by children and services.''

Lake said the local Boys & Girls Club's $250-per-month trash bill will come from its $1.2 million annual budget.

``It's not going to break the bank,'' he said. ``But $250 can go a long way in our program. We can use that money for art supplies, new sports equipment or something.''

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com