The Estacada City Council voted to terminate Walker Disposal’s solid-waste franchise and to amend Arrow Sanitary’s franchise map to include Walker’s former service area, adding a five-year extension to Arrow’s agreement, council members said during a public hearing and subsequent council votes.

The action followed staff reports that Walker had not provided information requested in a 30-day demand letter and complaints that some customers had not been receiving bills. City Attorney Peter (role: city attorney) told the council the cleanest way to preserve city service continuity and limit legal exposure was to terminate Walker’s franchise and expand Arrow’s territory under the existing Arrow franchise.

The decision matters because it shifts responsibility for residential and commercial solid-waste pickup in the affected part of Estacada from Walker Disposal to Arrow Sanitary, and because Arrow said it plans to buy Walker’s physical assets to maintain service continuity. Josh, an Arrow Sanitary representative, told the council the company based its valuation and business plan on receiving a five-year extension and that the extension was “important to us from an investment standpoint” so the company could depreciate purchased assets.

Council discussion focused on three practical points: (1) Walker had not produced requested billing and receivable records after a demand; (2) Arrow said it intends to buy Walker’s assets — Arrow said the purchase would include four trucks, containers and residential carts — and that lead times for new carts and containers can be 45–60 days; and (3) the city attorney warned of legal risk if the city became entangled in underlying disputes between private parties and recommended a process that minimizes city exposure.

Councilors debated timing and the risks to Arrow if the council postponed any extension. Several council members said avoiding disruption of service for Estacada residents was the highest priority. After public hearing procedures and a brief public comment period with no speakers, the council voted on two motions: to terminate Walker’s franchise and to amend the franchise map to assign Walker’s former zone to Arrow Sanitary and to include a five-year extension to Arrow’s franchise. Both motions passed on roll-call votes with all present members voting yes.

Staff told the council they would prepare a resolution (rather than an ordinance) so the change could take effect immediately; staff noted that ordinances typically require a 30-day period unless passed as an emergency measure. Councilors asked staff to prepare the map amendment and the paperwork for the mayor’s signature so Arrow could proceed if it moves quickly to acquire Walker’s assets.

The council also approved two unrelated ordinances on consent — Ordinance 2024-010 and Ordinance 2024-011 — which staff said are zone-change ordinances that must be transmitted to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Those ordinances were passed by voice vote.

The council closed the public hearing and returned to routine council business. Staff will return with a resolution and implementing documents reflecting the franchise termination, the map amendment assigning the territory to Arrow Sanitary, and the five-year extension language.