Service Fees

Overview
How did you arrive at a service fee rate for my home parcel?
How is the service fee calculated for businesses?
 

Overview:

On March 4, 1986, in accordance with Minnesota Statute 400.08, Otter Tail County amended its Solid Waste Ordinance allowing the County to charge an annual solid waste service fee. Minnesota State Statute requires Otter Tail County to provide options for waste management to all county residents. Therefore, all waste generating properties are assessed a solid waste service fee. The service fee is assessed as a special assessment on real estate property taxes.

The funds generated from the solid waste service fee are used for solid waste management programs. These programs include recycling, household hazardous waste, maintenance of transfer stations, solid waste and recycling education, general solid waste operations, and to help subsidize the tipping fee at the resource recovery incinerators in Otter Tail County.
 

The service fee is based on a county wide average for residential waste generation. Five points is the equivalent of one ton of waste.

Single Unit Homes: 5 points
Apartment Units: 4 points
Seasonal Residential Cabins: 5 points
All Businesses: Based on waste generation numbers

Each point is assigned an annual dollar value by the Otter Tail County Board of Commisioners.
 

How is the service fee calculated for businesses?

Each year, as part of their license requirement, waste haulers report to the Solid Waste Department the volume of waste that they pick up from each of their commercial accounts. The volume for each business is converted into tons using an average weight per cubic yard. The solid waste service fee is assessed based on 5 points per ton.

Estimates are used to determine the solid waste service fees for businesses that do not have a solid waste hauler. The estimates are based on waste generation from similar businesses with reported waste hauler information.