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County staff ask to negotiate transfer-station contract after single bid
Summary
Columbia County staff told commissioners they received only one proposal for the St. Helens transfer station and asked to skip the scored evaluation and begin negotiations with that proposer because the bid showed a substantial price increase.
Columbia County staff told the board of commissioners on Feb. 11 that only a single proposal had been received for the county transfer station in St. Helens and asked permission to enter direct negotiations rather than run the planned scored evaluation.
Mike Russell said the request-for-proposals process was advertised Dec. 10 and proposals were due Jan. 13, 2026. "We only received 1 proposal," he said, naming the proposer in the presentation as Waste Connections / Hudson Garbage Service. Russell added that the company's proposed price was notably higher than the county's current rates and that contract term length would be part of negotiations: "their proposed, price agreement is quite an increase ... 3 to 5 year contract. 10 year with a 5 year option," he said.
Russell told commissioners staff had reached out to several haulers and advertised the opportunity but nevertheless received a single response. He said the county expects to negotiate terms — including price and length — to avoid interruption of service while seeking better value for residents.
A board member moved to bypass the scoring procedure and to authorize Russell to issue a notice of intent to award and enter negotiations; the motion was seconded. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or a final tally for that motion.
Why it matters: The transfer station contract covers essential solid-waste services for county residents; a single bidder and a substantial proposed fee increase could affect household waste costs and county budgets. Staff said entering negotiations would preserve continuity of service while seeking to address price and term concerns.
Next steps: Staff will continue negotiations and return to the board with recommended contract documents or an updated procurement recommendation, according to the staff presentation.
