City staff asked the Riverview City Council to consider a one‑year memorandum of understanding with landfill engineer Tetra Tech (formerly Cornerstone) extending services through the 2025–26 fiscal year, including a cost adjustment tied to the consumer price index.

Jeff (city director overseeing landfill operations) said the firm has provided long‑term technical support dating to the late 1990s and remains the city’s incumbent engineering presence at the landfill. “They had requested a one‑year MOU. So basically, it started July 1 and would end next June, 2026,” he said. Staff told the council Tetra Tech included a CPI multiplier in past agreements and requested the current year’s CPI adjustment of 2.9 percent.

Why it matters: The landfill requires continuous engineering oversight for leachate management, monitoring and reporting to regulators. Council members said they value continuity but also want a clearer accounting of past and expected costs, and they asked for task‑level spending and time invested in the reverse‑osmosis (RO) system decision before approving the extension.

Questions and requested follow‑up

Council members said they want a Thursday briefing with detailed numbers showing the firm’s work‑task billing and how much the city has spent on the RO system design versus alternative treatments. Staff agreed to provide task‑by‑task spend reports and a total dollar figure reflecting the proposed 2.9 percent CPI increase before a final vote.

Contract flexibility and outside opinions

Council members noted the existing contract is nonexclusive and that the city can hire second opinions, a practice used recently for the leachate treatment work. One council member pointed out the city recently contracted with a second engineer, Ivan Cooper, to review the RO system. Staff said the nonexclusive contract language allows the city to obtain additional technical reviews when needed.

Ending

Council did not vote on the MOU extension at the study session and scheduled more detailed review at a special meeting later in the week. Staff committed to return with a breakdown of past expenditures by task and an estimate of projected costs under the proposed CPI adjustment.