Citrus Heights council authorizes amended Republic Services contract after split vote amid calls for competitive bidding

The Citrus Heights City Council voted 3–2 to authorize the city manager to execute an amended and restated residential solid waste and recycling collection services agreement with Allied Waste Services of North America LLC (doing business as Republic Services), subject to a public hearing on proposed rate increases. The motion passed after robust public comment for and against extending the incumbent contractor.

City staff presented the outcomes of a 60‑day negotiation and asked the council to choose between approving the negotiated 10‑year amendment or directing staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP). Mary Poole, the city’s General Services staff lead, summarized the negotiated package and the program options under consideration, saying the deal preserved regional competitiveness while adding program refinements and a cost‑neutral local household hazardous waste (HHW) drop‑off event.

Why it matters: The contract shapes an essential, recurring residential service and the monthly bill residents pay. Staff said the negotiated proposal would keep Citrus Heights’ rates among the lowest in the region while adding customer‑service commitments, program refinements and optional street‑sweeping inclusion—changes that affect service levels, neighborhood cleanup frequency and how costs are billed to residents.

What staff proposed and what it would change: Poole and consultant Carrie Baxter said the negotiation produced options that generally aim to maintain low regional rates and high customer satisfaction. Key features staff highlighted included: - A 10‑year amended agreement with Republic Services that would apply a one‑time CPI and market adjustment resulting in an estimated 6% increase at the start of 2028, according to staff’s estimate; staff characterized these numbers as preliminary and subject to the later rate hearing. - A cap on annual CPI adjustments at 4.25% (staff said the proposal also contains a 2.5% market adjustment in the first year and a limited rollover mechanism to smooth year‑to‑year swings). - Program refinements: reduce neighborhood cleanup collections from three to two per year while preserving a 10‑cubic‑yard per‑household limit (staff recommended keeping the 10‑yard pile size rather than lowering it to five yards); add a cost‑neutral local HHW drop‑off event (staff said Republic had been reimbursing the city for that service historically); and an option to include residential street sweeping in customer rates (staff estimated the residential portion at about $1.19 per month). - Pilot innovations: Republic indicated it would pilot a rear‑wheel alternative collection vehicle in 18–24 months; staff called that a noncost item for the pilot.

Public response: The council heard more than a dozen in‑person supporters of Republic Services who praised reliability, neighborhood outreach and rapid customer response. Examples: Matthew Hogelson told the council Republic “has always been there to support me,” and several neighborhood leaders described Republic’s community sponsorships and on‑the‑ground responsiveness. Republic’s general manager, Colin Wallace, told council the extension would "preserve affordability, enhance services and protect stability" and described the proposal as the result of negotiations focused on city priorities.

Opposition and transparency concerns: Multiple residents and local stakeholders urged a transparent RFP process. Taylor Brown criticized negotiating behind closed doors after nearly three decades without a competitive bid, saying it undercuts trust: “Rather than going through a transparent process and a competitive bid… you are again considering a negotiation behind closed doors.” Written commenters also urged competitive bidding and shared historical bill increases.

Council deliberations and votes: Council member Schaeffer moved to direct staff to issue an RFP; that motion failed in a roll call (Karpinski Costa No; Nelson No; Schaeffer Yes; Vice Mayor Middleton No; Mayor Lopez Taft Yes). Vice Mayor Middleton then moved to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute the amended agreement with Allied Waste/Republic Services, subject to the results of a public rate hearing. The council adopted that motion by roll call vote: Karpinski Costa Yes; Nelson Yes; Schaeffer No; Vice Mayor Middleton Yes; Mayor Lopez Taft No (3–2 in favor).

Financial and program clarifications: Staff repeatedly described proposed rate figures as estimates that will be finalized at a subsequent rate hearing. Staff also told council that Republic committed to locally staffed customer service (contractually requiring 50% of customer‑service staff be based in the Sacramento region) and to maintaining existing community programs while formalizing performance measures in the contract.

Next steps: The council’s authorization directs the city manager to execute the amended contract, subject to the public hearing on rates; staff will return with final rate details at that hearing. The council separately provided direction on package elements (including the street‑sweeping inclusion and neighborhood cleanup frequency) for staff to fold into the final agreement or the RFP if council later reopens procurement.

Votes and formal action: The formal action authorizes the city manager to execute an amended and restated residential solid waste and recycling collection services agreement with Allied Waste Services of North America LLC (Republic Services), subject to the outcome of a public rate hearing. The roll call for adoption was: Karpinski Costa — Yes; Nelson — Yes; Schaeffer — No; Vice Mayor Middleton — Yes; Mayor Lopez Taft — No.

Reporting note: The proposed rate adjustments, program changes and pilot projects described in this article were presented by staff as preliminary estimates and subject to change at the rate hearing and final contract drafting.