With county approval last week of a 3.53 percent rate increase for West Marin requested by Recology, a 32-gallon cart will now cost $43.47 per month. The company sought the increase in part to fund a 20-percent low-income discount, which will mirror the CARE discount program operated by PG&E in the service area. The rate hike also provides support for a switch from two bulky item community events per year to the same number of private pickups per customer. There was also an administrative adjustment to calculating the rates in Nicasio, making the rate structure align with the rest of the villages on the coast except Bolinas and Stinson, which have their own contracts.