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Committee reviews amendment to Waste Management hauling contract; council staff warns amendment requires contractor agreement
Summary
The subcommittee discussed BL2026142, an amendment to the Waste Management hauling contract to reflect a 4-day pickup schedule, pricing consolidation and a proposed five-year extension; Metro Council staff clarified the contractor must agree for an amendment to take effect.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Solid Waste Subcommittee discussed a proposed amendment (listed in the agenda as BL2026142) to the Waste Management hauling contract, including possible term alignment and a potential five-year extension, staff said.
Matt Purvis summarized the measure as an adjustment to the existing Waste Management contract — Waste Management currently collects about 40% of curbside customers — and said the amendment would reflect the city’s transition to a four-day pickup schedule and would consolidate pricing. The committee learned the amendment included an amendment adopted in the transportation and budget committee the prior day by Councilmember Parker.
Purvis provided cost-per-stop comparisons to put contract costs in context: Waste Management charges between about $8.67 and $20.82 per stop depending on route and cart count; Waste Pro charges roughly $13.81 to $22.86 per stop. By contrast, he said, Metro’s internal all-in cost (including disposal, carts, processing and overhead) is roughly $4 per stop — a figure that excludes the municipal tip fee.
Sammy Hurl of the Metro Council office clarified the council cannot unilaterally amend a contract. "It both parties would need to agree," Hurl said, adding that an amendment on the council agenda does not guarantee the contractor will accept the new terms and that if the contractor disagrees, the amendment would return to council.
Purvis said the hauling contracts are currently valid through May 27 of next year and that staff will continue negotiating with Waste Management while they pursue a competitive RFP for all contracted hauling as contracts come due.
The subcommittee had no formal vote; staff said the amendment will appear on the council floor agenda that night and that the administration will continue procurement planning and negotiations. Committee members asked staff to supply further cost and comparative analyses to inform council consideration.
