On Sept. 2, City Council voted 5-1 to approve a contract with Solid Waste Specialists to provide procurement services for solid waste services in the city. Solid Waste Specialists will help focus a request for proposals on specific needs, goals and objectives to ensure a consistent and an unbiased process for evaluating proposals from various entities, agenda documents state.
Council member Bernard Rubal was the lone dissenting vote.
The contract will cost $41,630, but the fee will be repaid to the city by the company that wins the waste services deal, according to agenda documents. Funding will come from the fiscal year 2025-26 general fund budget under nondepartmental other contract services.
What’s happening
The city’s current waste services contract with Waste Management is will expire at the end of July 2026, according to agenda documents.
As of Sept. 1, Universal City residents pay $28.07 per month for twice-per-week trash pickup and once-per-week recycling pickup. Waste Management also includes pickup of household hazardous waste and brush waste.
Offering input
Council member Phil Vaughan said it's "a little weird" to have a consultant to work on a request for proposals, but the "massive contract" is the one to have a consultant for.
Council member Bear Goolsby, council member William Shelby and Mayor Pro Tem Christina Fitzpatrick were all in favor of the contract to gain more information from a knowledgeable source.
"I appreciate that we have a group like this that's interested. ... These guys do it all day, every day, they know the ins and outs, they know where things are hidden," Goolsby said.
Resident Kim Ingleheart said the city should try alternatives to its current schedule with a new contract, as she and other residents don't need trash pickup as often as they receive it.
"I know some of you are strong advocates of twice-weekly service. Our neighbor [cities] with a comparable standard of living seem to be okay with once-weekly service. I think we could adapt," Ingleheart said.
Looking ahead
A city decision on a waste service provider will be made on or around March 6. Approval of a contract award is tentatively scheduled for March 17, followed by the new service contract beginning Aug. 3, according to agenda documents.
