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Council approves amended Waste Management contract; members urge competitive rebid and operational changes
Summary
The council approved an amendment to the Waste Management Inc. solid‑waste contract (a proposed five‑year extension and operational changes) after debate over a $60 million extension and assurances from Waste Services staff that an RFP process can run in time for the contract cycle.
Council approved Bill 2026‑14142 as amended, which changes terms in the existing contract with Waste Management Inc. for solid waste collection and related services.
Sponsor Council member Parker said the amendment seeks operational adjustments (including a shift toward a four‑day workweek for certain routes) and proposed aligning contract expirations so both major hauling contracts can be put out for joint competitive bid next year rather than extending one contract for an additional five years. Parker described the extension as "a very substantial extension of this contract. It's $60,000,000 and 5 years."
Special counsel reminded the council that any contract language change must ultimately be agreed to by all contracting parties to take effect. Matt Purvis, council liaison for Waste Services, told the council the department had discussed the amendment with contract partners, supports the operational changes, and said the department has time to commence an RFP process so service disruptions would be avoided.
Several council members voiced concern about locking in a long extension without a full rebid; Council member Evan Siegel said the body should avoid obligating an extra five years and $60 million without ensuring a competitive process. Council member Allen supported operational fixes but stressed the opportunity to run an RFP under calmer circumstances.
After debate the council approved the bill as amended. Staff indicated the department will pursue negotiation of any contractual language changes with the vendor and initiate a concurrent RFP process to seek competitive proposals before the current contract expires.
