Rio Vista council approves RFP to replace wastewater operations contract

The Rio Vista City Council voted unanimously Aug. 20 to issue a request for proposals for wastewater operations and maintenance after staff said the city's existing contract with Veolia expires Dec. 31, 2024.

City manager (speaker 14) told the council the original contract began in 2009, included options for two five-year extensions that have been realized, and that staff recommends issuing an RFP to identify the best service and value going forward. "Staff recommend the issuance of a RFP to allow the city the opportunity to determine the best service and value," the city manager said.

In questions before the vote, Council member (speaker 11) asked whether the city had considered operating the wastewater treatment function in house. The city manager replied that running treatment operations would require significant technical expertise and staffing changes and is uncommon for a city of Rio Vista's size. "The existing staff does not have the knowledge to operate the wastewater treatment plant system," the city manager said, adding that outside firms bring specialized legal and testing capacity.

Council members also discussed the possibility of consolidating two treatment plants during the contract term. The city manager said staff will include contract language to address consolidation scenarios so the city can renegotiate or issue a new RFP if the plants are combined.

The motion to issue the RFP was made by Council member Donnelly and seconded by Council member Stanish; the city clerk recorded unanimous votes in favor by all members present.

The approval starts a procurement process intended to produce comparable proposals for operations, maintenance and legal/insurance terms, with the city later returning to council to select a vendor or to consider alternative governance models.

What happens next: staff will publish the RFP and return to council with proposals and recommended contract terms later in the procurement schedule.