City staff presented results of a request for proposals for municipal solid waste collection, hauling and disposal ahead of the current contract’s March 1, 2026 expiration.

Staff summarized the two proposals received — from Waste Connections (the incumbent) and Waste Management — and said scoring considered price, equipment, services and contractor experience. The staff analysis showed Waste Connections scored best overall and was cheaper on many of the most commonly used residential and commercial containers. Staff noted there are 1,406 residential containers in the system, which makes the per‑container pricing for the primary residential container material to the largest budget impact.

Council member discussion covered price differentials, budget timing and the operational lead time required for a new contractor to supply containers and vehicles. Staff said switching carriers requires lead time so a new contractor can obtain necessary capital equipment (containers and trucks) and that the incumbent contract allows annual CPI adjustments.

A council member moved and a second followed to reject both RFPs and retain the current contractor under the existing contract. The council voted in favor and the motion carried. No further legislative changes were adopted at the meeting; staff will continue to manage the current contract and present procurement or budget items to council as needed.

The council did not approve a different vendor or a new contract at this meeting. Specific per‑customer prices shown in staff spreadsheets were discussed at the meeting but the council did not adopt any price changes during the vote.