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Lewiston Council restores 18.5% adjustment to Sunshine Disposal franchise agreement
Summary
After extended debate, the Lewiston City Council voted to add back contract sections reinstating an 18.5% one-time adjustment for Sunshine Disposal and Recycling and adopted Ordinance 4956 amending the city's franchise agreement for solid-waste services.
The Lewiston City Council on May 11 voted to reinstate language in the city's franchise agreement with Sunshine Disposal and Recycling that implements an 18.5% one-time adjustment to contracted residential and commercial collection rates and then adopted Ordinance 4956 to amend the franchise agreement accordingly.
Mayor Daniel T. Johnson opened the discussion with a prepared statement framing the choice as a tradeoff between validating changed market conditions and preserving service continuity: "Approving this increase should not be seen as a concession but as a structured, rational judgment to ensure continued service reliability and fiscal predictability," he said. Public Works Director Dustin Johnson and finance staff told council they had reviewed the contractor's invoices and verified the cost increases Sunshine presented, including long-term capital investments and higher diesel and labor costs.
Representatives of Sunshine Disposal and Recycling provided documentation and explained their calculations. Brian Cington of Sunshine said the invoices and letters in the packet were "specific to the cost of doing business in Lewiston" and outlined elevated equipment, fuel, and labor expenses. Council members pressed on how much of the shortfall was company-wide versus specific to Lewiston and how the adjustment would be borne by ratepayers over time rather than as an immediate equivalent increase to every sanitation bill.
Councilor Wright proposed an amendment to restore the contract language but set the adjustment at 12% instead of 18%; that motion failed on roll call. Councilor Forsman then moved to add back sections and exhibits that provide for the 18.5% adjustment; that motion carried on roll call, after which the council waived further readings and adopted Ordinance 4956.
What the ordinance does: Ordinance 4956 amends the city franchise agreement for collection, hauling, and disposal services and, as adopted after amendment, includes the reinstated provisions reflecting the one-time 18.5% adjustment to the contractor's compensation per the inserted exhibits. City staff said operational reserves and multi-year budget modeling would be used to smooth the impact to ratepayers over several years.
Why it matters: the adjustment affects the city's contracted sanitation costs and could influence future rate-setting and procurement negotiations. Councilors emphasized safeguards such as continued oversight, transparency in cost drivers, and attention to performance expectations.
Next steps: the ordinance is adopted and staff will coordinate contract execution and reporting to council as required by city code. The official meeting minutes include the roll-call records for the amendment and adoption votes; transcript audio and packet materials contain the contractor invoices referenced during the hearing.
