$300K spent in trash bid process

Counties, cities hired analysts to help decide $300M contract

More than $300,000 has been spent since 2016 on various local solid waste and recycling collection studies and negotiations.

With the current contract for regional waste management (held by Recology) ending in 2019, local jurisdictions have been working to decide on awarding a 10-year collection contract worth as much as $300 million.

In May 2016, the Regional Waste Management Authority (a partnership including Sutter and Yuba counties and the cities of Yuba City, Marysville, Live Oak and Wheatland) entered into an agreement with Tustinbased consultants Sloan Vazquez Mcafee that totaled $77,330.

In the final report presented to the authority in December 2016, Sloan Vazquez Mcafee highlighted the work conducted, including: a review of the current model collection services agreement; nine public forums to obtain stakeholder input; analysis of reasonableness of RWMA

rates in comparison with contracted rates and services in comparable jurisdictions; a review of market implications that could impact rates and future contracting opportunities; a review of similar agreements to identify opportunities for consideration in the development of any future agreement; an overview and assessment of next steps available to RWMA.

That contract was paid for through Recology-collected fees, and the consultant recommended entering straight into negotiations with Recology. Five of the jurisdictions went with that recommendation; Yuba City was the lone holdout.

In September, Yuba County entered into a $160,000 agreement with HF&H Consultants of Walnut Creek to conduct negotiations with Recology. Also in September, the Yuba City council voted to again contract with Sloan Vazquez Mcafee, for $73,227, to conduct a “competitive procurement for services.”

The recent study conducted for Yuba City evaluated proposals submitted by five companies and rated them based on responsiveness; qualifications; proposal for the collection services; implementation plan and capabilities; and cost proposal.

Based on that criteria, the five companies were graded on a scale of 1,000 points. Recology received the highest score with 937, and Republic Services came in second with 931.

But instead of going with the company that scored highest, the consultant called it “essentially a tie,” and recommended entering into negotiations with both companies. The Yuba City council members followed that recommendation on a 3-1 vote (Manny Cardoza voted against it; Shon Harris was absent). A number of speakers at the City Council meeting questioned the decision.

The cost for the negotiations was included in the consultant’s original fee.

Joe Sloan, president of Sloan Vazquez Mcafee, said the work done from the RWMA and Yuba City was not comparable.

“The work we did for RWMA was toward the prospect of helping jurisdictions determine the best course of action as it related to their current solid waste contract situation,” Sloan said Wednesday. “It was an analysis of ‘this is where you are now’ and ‘what are your options now.’”

The most recent study for Yuba City, he said, was focused on the specifics of proposals.

“We actually believed at the time (that they made their recommendation to the RWMA) it was most likely that given the infrastructure availability jurisdiction it would be best to negotiate a new deal with the current contractor,” he said. “As we delved deeper at the behest of the city... we determined there really was an opportunity in the marketplace for other contractors to enter in and compete. That’s the course of action that they’ve taken.”

In a follow-up email, Sloan said the evaluation and scoring was a step in the contractor selection process; not necessarily the selection process itself. Over the next few weeks, negotiations will clarify “several important aspect” of the two companies’ proposals. The City Council will then determine the successful proposer.

But entering into further negotiations won’t cost more money, the city says.

The contract with Sloan Vazquez Mcafee is running the city a total of $73,227, which includes a 10 percent contingency and includes this next step in the process, according to City Manager Steve Kroeger.

That money is being paid upfront by the city, but will be reimbursed by the company that wins the contract, he said, a point that was fully disclosed at the beginning of the process. Upfront costs are coming from the city’s solid waste franchise fees fund.

Kroeger said the notion has always been that the city would ultimately negotiate.

“You’re always in a more advantageous position if you have more than one person who wants to provide a service to you,” he said Wednesday.

Kroeger noted Yuba County’s $160,000 contract with another consultant for negotiations with Recology, saying Yuba City is going through the whole process for much less money.

“We’re interested in the most competitive price at the highest level of service,” he said.

FELONY ARRESTS

Kurt E. Lindgren, 52, homeless was arrested by the Yuba County Probation Department at 8:35 a.m. March 13 at Yuba County Probation on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was booked into Yuba County Jail.

Jenny Yang, 22, of the 1200 block of East 22nd Street, Marysville, was arrested by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office at 8:30 a.m. March 13 in the 1100 block of North Beale Road on suspicion of embezzlement. She was booked into Yuba County Jail.

Patrick D. Ramsey, 32, homeless, Yuba City, was arrested by the Yuba City Police Department at 1:18 a.m. March 13 at the Marysville Government Center on suspicion of spousal abuse. He was booked into Sutter County Jail.

DUI ARREST

Colton R. Cates, 21, of Lincoln, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at 8:15 p.m. March 12 at North Butte Road. He was booked into Sutter County Jail.

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