Why the Fee on Heavy Haul Bulky/Heavy Items?
Over the past few years, the cost of disposing of household waste has increased significantly. The Westwood Shores POA Board of Trustees has worked diligently to manage these rising costs while avoiding increases in our annual assessments whenever possible.
As part of this effort, we’ve made several strategic changes. First, we updated the style of trash containers to improve efficiency and reduce labor hours—resulting in noticeable cost savings. More recently, the POA invested in two trash trucks, allowing us to handle collection and compaction ourselves rather than paying third-party disposal fees. This change has already yielded substantial savings for our community.
However, the disposal of bulky or heavy items presents a unique challenge. These items are expensive to process and dispose of, and unlike regular household trash, there are limited ways to reduce this cost. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen instances where a small number of individuals brought in large items from outside the community—whether from a second home, friends, or family—resulting in unfair and avoidable costs to the POA.
Rather than eliminating this helpful service, the Board chose a more equitable solution: a modest fee for those who use it. After conducting a comparison with nearby communities and disposal sites, we determined that our fee structure falls squarely in the mid-range—neither the highest nor the lowest—helping us maintain fairness while covering actual costs.
To assist residents who are unable to transport bulky items themselves, we’ve also continued to offer pickup service from your home. Because this service requires extra staff time and impacts other maintenance work, a small additional charge has been added to the first item collected.
We believe this approach allows us to preserve the services our residents rely on—while avoiding broad increases in fees for all property owners.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work together to keep Westwood Shores a well-maintained and affordable place to live.
Please see the attached updated policy.
Sincerely,
Deta Rogillio, President
Westwood Shores Property Owner’s Association
