Clark County awards 10-year yard debris contract; La Center to remain on county program

Clark County staff told the La Center City Council that Clark County selected Waste Connections of Washington as the contractor for yard debris collection under a 10-year contract with two 2-year extension options, and described how that contract will affect city residents.

At a council meeting presentation, Joelle Loacher, identified as Clark County’s solid waste operations manager, said the county issued the competitive procurement in 2024 and selected Waste Connections of Washington as the “most cost effective and qualified contractor.” Loacher said the contract continues the county practice of procuring yard debris service for unincorporated residents and for cities that opt in; La Center historically has participated in the county contract.

Loacher said the contract keeps the same two service types: scheduled every-other-week collection and an on-call pickup service. The county will supply 96-gallon carts and customer service; the contractor is responsible for personnel, vehicles, equipment, billing and local customer service offices. The county’s role will be contract oversight, annual rate review and compliance monitoring, Loacher said.

Tatum Flowers, introduced as the project manager for recycling and yard debris contracts, said the new contract includes a small decrease in the routine every-other-week rate (from $8.50 under the current contract to $8.25 under the new contract starting Aug. 1). She said on-call service has two components in the proposal: a monthly cart rental fee of $1.92 and a per-pickup charge of $6.34. Flowers said those figures reflect the county’s competitive procurement; she added that all the listed rates are savings compared with the current contract.

Flowers said the county will transition the yard-debris cart color from teal to green under the new contract; otherwise the cart size and basic service remain the same. Loacher and Flowers told the council the contractor will operate a local customer service center, manage billing, handle outreach and supply replacement carts when a cart is worn or damaged.

Council members asked whether residents can buy a cart outright rather than pay the monthly rental. Flowers said the contract does not include a purchase option; she said residents can obtain free replacements for worn or damaged carts but the county has not established a one-time-purchase buyout in this contract. Loacher said the county is open to discussing that in future procurements.

Loacher and Flowers also described related county efforts: the draft Solid Waste Management Plan (a county plan under review), a North County transfer-station siting study that the county has begun, and outreach the county intends to do as those projects proceed. Both presenters said the county is pursuing expanded food-waste subscription options but that transfer-station capacity constraints limit immediate expansion; the county is pursuing pilot programs and a WeCompost subscription program to fill gaps while capacity is built.

The presenters urged residents to use the county’s RecycleBrite app for collection reminders and disposal guidance, and to watch for public engagement opportunities on the transfer-station study and the solid-waste management plan.

Details the council heard at the meeting were limited to the presentation; no city action or vote on the county contract was taken at the La Center meeting.