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Board approves $5.7M increase to refuse contracts; controller investigating unexplained $461,000 check
Summary
The Board of Supervisors authorized a second amendment to refuse collection contracts to increase the total by about $5.7 million and extend the term; City Controller Ben Rosenfield told the board his office received an unexplained $461,000 refund check from Recology and is reviewing it.
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Nov. 16 to authorize the Office of Contract Administration to execute a second amendment increasing the city’s contracts with refuse collection contractors by approximately $5.7 million — bringing the total not‑to‑exceed to about $15.6 million — and extending the contract term by seven months through June 30, 2022.
Supervisor Gordon Mar and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, among others, discussed longstanding procurement and contracting practices that had allowed individual departments to contract directly with Recology and related companies. Supervisor Chan thanked City Administrator Chu for identifying the issue and said the administration may return for a citywide procurement process.
Controller Ben Rosenfield told the board his office received an unsolicited refund check from Recology in September for $461,000 and that the controller’s office has not cashed it while it reviews the legal basis and calculation for the payment. Rosenfield said the city requested supporting information from Recology and had not yet received it: “This was, September. September sixteenth, we received the check. We requested information for Ecology,” he said on the record, describing the office’s careful approach so as not to imply acceptance of the payment without verification.
Why it matters: The amendment covers refuse collection at city facilities and formalizes a consolidated contract; Rosenfield’s disclosure prompted questions about past contract billing and the need for a full procurement review. Several supervisors said moving to a single, citywide procurement process would increase transparency and address concerns about sole‑source contracting.
Vote and next steps: The resolution was adopted unanimously. Controller Rosenfield said his office will report back after receiving documentation from Recology to determine whether the refund is owed to the city or to another ratepayer and the calculation behind it.
