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County outlines outreach, vehicle and staffing plans for new garbage and recycling franchises
Summary
County staff presented transition plans for the 2025 garbage, recycling and organics franchise agreements, including outreach timelines, vehicle deliveries, and a coordinated pilot to notify low-income county clients about reduced-rate eligibility.
County staff on March 11 briefed the Board of Supervisors on transition activities tied to new 10-year garbage, recycling and organics franchise agreements for unincorporated Santa Clara County, and the board accepted the report with a request for a quarterly update on targeted outreach to certain low-income county clients.
Edgar Nolasco, director of the Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA), introduced the update and said the new agreements with Green Team and Green Waste will begin July 1 and run through June 2035. Vanessa Marcadetas and Michelle Young presented a rollout timeline that includes direct mailings, updated recycling guides, multilingual outreach (Spanish and Vietnamese and others as needed), website updates, customer-service scripts, and coordination with the county's social services agency to identify clients eligible for low-income rates.
Young said outreach mailings are anticipated in May and June, with some district-specific materials to be mailed when new haulers are in billing systems. She also said staff is coordinating with Social Services Agency (SSA) to map clients who qualify for the PG&E CARE program and to conduct targeted outreach to increase enrollment in low-income garbage-rate programs.
Staff described fleet and staffing plans: some vehicles will be used until they reach their 10-year age limits, mini-max trucks were ordered for hard-to-serve areas, District East new trucks are in production for mid-June delivery, and GreenWaste plans to shift senior drivers to cover District East to preserve continuity. Staff also said route supervisors are analyzing data to optimize route lengths and reduce missed pickups.
Supervisor discussion focused on making outreach affirmative and accessible to eligible SSA clients, the number of low-income customers in District East (staff reported 189 enrollees), and ensuring timely hiring and training for drivers. The board adopted the staff report and approved a motion requesting that staff provide quarterly updates to the County's CSFC committee on outreach coordination with SSA and on progress of enrollment efforts for reduced-rate customers.
Why it matters: the outreach and operational transition affect service continuity for unincorporated residents, determine how low-income households are notified about potential discounts, and influence staffing and vehicle readiness ahead of the July 1 service start date.
