Compost-processing contract pulled from council agenda; staff to execute six-month emergency extension and reprocure

Summary

Staff told the Zero Waste Advisory Commission the compost-processing contract was pulled from the city council agenda. The existing contractor remains on holdover through late February 2025, staff will execute a six-month emergency extension, and a new procurement with substantial changes is planned.

Ted Horton and Richard McHale updated the Zero Waste Advisory Commission on the city's compost-processing contract. Horton said the contract was pulled from a recent city council agenda and that staff have continued a holdover arrangement that will extend through late February 2025.

Richard McHale said ARR plans to execute a six-month emergency extension of the existing agreement to allow time to issue a new procurement. McHale said staff expect substantive changes to the next procurement to address concerns raised previously; he did not provide a final procurement schedule but said staff would use the extension period to prepare the new solicitation.

Commissioners asked for follow-up from the finance/purchasing office about the prior procurement process; McHale said he would coordinate with Purchasing to attend a future SWAC meeting. No binding contract action was completed at the meeting; staff described the holdover and the emergency extension as interim steps while a reprocurement is developed.