Cibolo council asks staff to seek competitive bids for solid-waste franchise, requests price options for once- and twice-weekly service

CIBOLO, Texas — City staff will solicit competitive proposals for a new solid-waste franchise after the City Council gave detailed direction on options it wants included in the request for proposals (RFP).

Council and staff spent more than an hour on Jan. 14 reviewing options and trade-offs with consultant Lynn Lantrip of Solid Waste Specialist (SWS) and members of the city project team. Staff emphasized that the RFP will ask bidders to spell out several service scenarios so the council can weigh cost versus service when proposals are returned.

The council instructed staff to ensure the RFP explicitly requests separate price proposals for: (a) the city’s current service level (one weekly pickup with additional twice-weekly service during summer/holiday periods), (b) year-round twice-weekly curbside pickup as an alternate, and (c) a single weekly pickup option as a baseline. Council members also asked for add-on pricing for a second residential cart per household (so residents could select larger or additional carts), household hazardous-waste collection, and an optional curbside composting program.

Consultant Lantrip told the council that bidders will plan capital costs (trucks and containers) around the city’s projected household growth and that national firms will…