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Vancouver council approves expanded encampment‑cleanup contract after staff say original $300,000 cap reached
Summary
City staff told council the Rapid contract for encampment cleanup reached its $300,000 cap (covering about a year and three quarters of service). Council approved increased contract capacity to ensure multi‑year cleanup and biohazard response coverage; members asked for a longer historical spending breakdown.
Vancouver City Council on Oct. 13 approved an amended contract to expand capacity for encampment cleanup services after staff said the current agreement had reached its $300,000 cap.
The contract, which began Jan. 1, 2024, covers cleanup and biohazard response. Bridal Potter, operations manager for stormwater, greenway and sensitive lands and the city—s homeless encampment coordinator, said, “we are we—ve reached the 300,000 max,” and that staff are seeking added capacity so the service can be sustained across the five‑year term.
Councilors said they wanted clearer historic spending data before committing to longer funding. Potter described recent spending patterns, saying the city spent about $200,000 in 2024 and was into the $100,000 range so far in 2025; she estimated prior in‑house cleanup costs could have been “probably spending roughly $3,540,000 per year” before the current contracted model. Potter also explained the contract scope includes 24/7 biohazard response for incidents that require specialized cleanup.
Councilor Katie Fox asked whether the proposed increased contract would hold annual spending near prior averages; Potter said staff expect to hit roughly $350,000 by the end of the year and that the additional capacity would leave roughly $180,000 per year available under the contract, subject to annual budget authorization. She noted that the contract provides capacity, but each department still must request budget authorization in the normal budget process.
Councilors pressed staff for a longer trend line. Councilor Hansen asked for a 10‑year breakdown of encampment‑related spending and other homelessness response costs (including shelter and hotel vouchers) to better understand growth in those line items.
Councilor Katie Fox moved to approve the contract after staff answered questions; the motion was seconded by Councilor Paulson and passed by voice vote.
Councilors and staff said they will continue to look for grant opportunities (for example, litter or cleanup grants through Ecology) and consider coordination with enforcement partners where appropriate.
