Council approves five‑year extension of CR&R franchise; company plans combined transfer station on Ross and Dogwood

The El Centro City Council approved a five‑year extension to its franchise agreement with CR&R, the city’s solid‑waste hauler, and included language tying a second five‑year renewal to performance and to completion of the company’s planned transfer‑station project.

Public works staff said CR&R has provided city refuse and recycling services since 2007 and that the contract was comprehensively restated in 2022 to reflect current state recycling and rate rules; the restated contract retained an expiration aligned with the original schedule (June 30, 2027) and included the option for extensions. CR&R requested a 10‑year total extension (two five‑year increments) to support financing for construction of a new consolidated enclosed transfer facility at Ross and Dogwood. The proposed facility would consolidate CR&R’s existing yards, provide indoor transfer and sorting to reduce odors and site impacts, and include a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station for the fleet. The project also would establish a north–south street on the east side of the parcel that staff said could open additional industrial acreage for development.

Dean Ruffridge, CR&R senior vice president, said the company has completed design and plan checks and intends to move quickly; he described the investment as a long‑term development and said CR&R’s financing partners needed contract stability to underwrite the project. Ruffridge said the company intends to convert its fleet to natural gas and build on‑site fueling, and noted plans to consolidate operations currently housed at multiple sites.

Imperial County public‑works manager Peter Sternberg opposed the extension during public comment, saying the county operates a landfill with more than 50 years of remaining capacity and that an El Centro extension should be weighed against regional landfill capacity and competitive options. Sternberg and others raised past resident complaints about service performance; staff said those issues were investigated and addressed following the 2022 contract updates. Council members also asked about public drop‑off access hours for residents; CR&R said Saturday drop‑off is permitted under health‑department rules and the company plans to ask permitting authorities to expand hours if feasible.

Council discussion focused on the city benefit of an enclosed transfer station, performance protections in the contract and the financing rationale for the extension. The council approved the five‑year extension; the resolution includes language that the second five‑year term would be conditioned on satisfactory performance and completion of the facility. The motion passed 3–1.