Tega Cay council votes 3-2 to solicit competitive bids for waste contract

The Tega Cay City Council on March 31 directed City Manager Charlie Funderburk to solicit competitive bids for the municipal solid waste collection contract, voting 3-2 to decline an automatic two-year renewal of the current agreement with Signature Waste.

Funderburk told council the existing contract is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2027, and said staff had prepared an RFP draft if council wanted to proceed. He also notified council of short-term cost pressures, saying the city "would be incurring a $0.024 fuel charge per customer per month" because diesel prices exceeded $4.75 per 1,000 gallons for four consecutive weeks, and that tipping fees at the Fort Mill transfer station would increase costs by about 1.5% next fiscal year.

Councilmember James D. Foltz urged the competitive process, saying it had been several years since the city rebid the service and noting the city retains the right to reject any or all proposals. "It is in the best interest of the city and a non-risky process to go through the competitive process," Foltz said.

Councilmember Brian D. Carter and Councilmember Heather Jones countered that Tega Cay currently pays lower fees than comparable municipalities and expressed concern about the staff time required to manage a rebid. Carter said he was "not opposed to letting the current contract be renewed" given the city's lower fees and estimated savings. Jones echoed concerns about staff workload but said moving forward with a bid could "put the community to rest" about the procurement process; she also highlighted that recycling was intentionally excluded from the current model after multiple contaminated loads required rerouting to garbage collection.

Mayor Pro Tempore Thomas S. Hyslip said the existing collection model has worked for residents and supported soliciting bids so the city could compare offers; Mayor Carmen S. Miller said the council should get an "accurate comparison of the true cost" of services, including models that include recycling or additional bins.

A motion to allow the contract to extend as-is failed to receive support. Councilmember Hyslip then moved to direct the city manager to solicit competitive bids; the motion, seconded by Councilmember Foltz, passed 3-2, with Councilmembers Jones and Carter opposed.

Council discussion also noted operational issues such as increased wear on alleyways in one neighborhood not built to street code, which Foltz said has been exacerbated by collection trucks. The next step, as the council discussed, is for staff to proceed with the RFP and return with comparative bids and cost information for council review.