Council hears CWD performance review, authorizes RFP as contractor seeks 3.1% rate adjustment

The Glenn Heights City Council on April 21 heard Community Waste Disposal’s (CWD) annual contract review and then voted to authorize the city manager to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for solid waste and recycling services.

CWD president Jason Ramer outlined service logistics, recent company investments and a formula the vendor uses to calculate automatic annual adjustments. He said the company collected about 961 tons of recycling in 2025 and nearly 6,500 tons of solid waste (including bulk) and described recent investments in a transfer-station expansion and a material‑recovery facility upgrade.

“We take CPI, CNG fuel and disposal gate rates, apply a weighted change, and it spits out that the residential trash rate will increase 3.1%,” Ramer said, adding that the change equates to roughly “50¢ per home per month.” Municipal coordinator Wanda Smith described pilot programs and customer‑facing tools, including a CWD app residents may use to file complaints and check service days.

Several council members and the mayor challenged whether contractor‑reported performance metrics reflect resident experience. Mayor Sonya A. Brown said city inboxes and resident messages show missed pickups and other service gaps, and warned the council must not rely solely on vendor data. “We’re paying for the trucks,” the mayor said, arguing the contract structure passes many costs to residents and the city.

Council members pressed CWD about the absence of an annual cap on index‑based increases; Ramer said he did not believe a cap exists in the current contract and emphasized that fuel accounts for a small share of residential cost under CWD’s CNG model. CWD acknowledged March 2026 saw higher service volumes tied to early warm weather; the company said its grievance metric (industry average ~1 complaint per 1,000 pickups) showed improvement from 2023 to 2025 but that some complaints do not reach the contractor because residents contact council or staff first.

After discussion about data collection and resident complaint tracking, Pro Tem Bruton moved that the council authorize the city manager to issue an RFP for solid waste and recycling services; the motion passed unanimously, 6–0. The mayor said issuing an RFP now preserves leverage ahead of the contract-renewal deadline and allows the city to specify stronger service-level agreements, reporting requirements and penalty provisions in future contracts.

Next steps: staff will draft RFP documents and return to council with a recommended timeline and evaluation criteria; CWD representatives said they will continue to work with staff to reconcile complaint records and offered facility tours for council members and staff.