Riverside weighs joint bid for trash services; staff recommends joining regional consortium

City staff recommended Riverside pursue a joint procurement through the Center for Local Government (CLG) regional refuse consortium rather than sole-bid procurement for the city's solid-waste contract that expires at the end of 2025.

Beth Moore briefed council on the current contract terms: a 3% annual increase, optional commercial participation, no required toters (rolling carts), quarterly billing and a 10% senior discount with an annual-payment option at a 4% discount. She said bulk pickups require prescheduling and yard-waste options include 90-gallon bags or bundled limbs.

Moore described two procurement options: run a city-specific RFP (staff recommended a target RFP release of April 15 and a new contract by June 1 if the city goes alone) or join a CLG group procurement. Benefits of CLG, she said, include reduced staff time to prepare an RFP, joint buying power and the ability to include Riverside-specific service options in the consortium bid. Moore noted there are "very few players in the area" for residential refuse collection and that Montgomery County requires waste to pass through the county transfer station.

City Manager Josh and Moore recommended joining the CLG unless council had "significant heartburn" with the approach. Council members voiced support: one councilor said, "I support that," and others praised current vendor Republic for generally good service while acknowledging weather or staffing can cause intermittent delays.

Moore and staff said customization options available through CLG would include cart sizes, park dumpster placement, recycling options and bulk-item allowances. Staff will pursue further details with CLG and return with a recommendation on whether to join the consortium.

No contract award decision was made; the presentation asked council to indicate a preference so staff can follow the CLG timeline if appropriate.