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RESOLUTION NO. R-25-19
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN
MARINO DETERMINING THAT THE AWARD OF A SOLID WASTE
AND RECYCLING AGREEMENT IS EXEMPT FROM THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA);
AWARDING AN AGREEMENT TO VALLEY VISTA SERVICES, INC.
FOR THE COLLECTION, TRANSPORTATION, PROCESSING AND
DIVERSION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, RECYCLABLE
MATERIALS, FOOD SCRAPS, YARD TRIMMINGS, CONSTRUCTION
AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS AND OTHER MATERIALS AND FOR
THE COLLECTION, TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL OF
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE FOR A TEN (10) YEAR PERIOD
BEGINNING MAY 31, 2025, AND TERMINATING JUNE 30, 2035;
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE SOLID WASTE AND
RECYCLING AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY; AND
DIRECTING STAFF TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE
PROPOSED RATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROPOSITION 218
WHEREAS, California Public Resources Code Sections 40059 and 49300 authorize a city to contract for the collection, transportation and disposal of municipal solid waste and recyclable materials, yard trimmings, food scraps and other materials: and WHEREAS, The City’s existing solid waste and recycling contract with Athens Services was entered into on October 1, 2003, and has been amended four times, most recently in October 2023.
The existing agreement expires December 31, 2025, unless earlier terminated by either party; and WHEREAS, Pursuant to the terms in the Fourth Amendment to the agreement, the City entered into exclusive negotiations with Athens Services in late 2023 to attempt to reach mutually agreeable terms and rates for a new or amended agreement for recycling and solid waste services.
After fourteen months of negotiations, the City and Athens Services were unable to reach an agreement. On February 28, 2025 the City Council authorized the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for solid waste and recycling services; and WHEREAS, Also on February 28, 2025, at the request of Athens Services, the City Council appointed a two-person Ad Hoc Committee to meet with Athens Services to attempt to reach mutually agreeable terms and rates for a new or amended contract. The Ad Hoc Committee met with Athens Services on March 18, 2025, to discuss terms and rates. The parties were unable to reach agreement; and
WHEREAS, On March 24, 2025, Athens Services terminated the existing contract in writing as of May 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, EcoNomics Inc., a solid waste consulting firm, assisted the City with the RFP process to procure a new 10-year Agreement for the Collection, Transportation, Processing and Diversion of Municipal Solid Waste, Recyclable Materials, Food Scraps, Yard Trimmings, Construction and Demolition Debris and Other Materials and for the Collection, Transportation CITY OF SAN MARINO RESOLUTION NO. R-25-19
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and Disposal of Municipal Solid Waste to go into effect May 31, 2025 (the “Agreement”). A key goal of the RFP process was to develop a contract that required the selected hauler to satisfy all the requirements for residential backyard service, diversion compliant programs, customer service, public education, reporting and all other contractual elements for the City to comply with Senate Bill (SB) 1383; and
WHEREAS, EcoNomics worked with City staff to define goals, specific programs and requirements for the new contract. The final combination of this work resulted in an RFP which contained a draft contract that would be signed by the selected proposer for approval by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, The RFP was issued on April 11, 2025 via the City’s OpenGov platform. The City requested that all interested proposers submit a letter of intent indicating interest in proposing by April 15, 2025. Six firms submitted letters of intent to the City, including: American Reclamation, Athens Services, Burrtec, Republic Services, Universal Waste Systems, and Valley Vista Services.
The City convened meetings with each of the six firms that submitted letters of intent to review questions regarding the RFP between April 17 – 22, 2025. Proposers were invited to submit written questions concerning the RFP to the City prior to these meetings. The City responded in writing to all 160 questions submitted both in writing and verbally during the in-person proposer meetings and made certain revisions to (a) the draft contract contained in the RFP and (b) certain proposal forms, via issuance of seven addenda to the RFP; and WHEREAS, On May 6, 2025, the following four firms submitted proposals in response to the City’s RFP: American Reclamation, Athens Services, Republic Services, and Valley Vista Services. The City’s Ad Hoc Committee, City staff, and consulting team held interviews with all four proposers on May 14, 2025; and
WHEREAS, City staff and consultants evaluated the four proposals received in response to the RFP for solid waste and recycling services and created an Evaluation Summary Report. The report is included as Attachment 3 to the staff report accompanying this resolution and summarizes the results of the proposal evaluations performed by EcoNomics. The proposal evaluations were conducted using the eighteen criteria described in Section 5.2 Proposal Evaluation Criteria of the RFP. Results of the evaluation are described in the Evaluation Summary Report; and WHEREAS, the Ad Hoc Committee, City staff and the City’s consultants recommend that the Agreement be awarded to Valley Vista Services, Inc. for the reasons set forth in the accompanying staff report and its attachments; and
WHEREAS, at a duly noticed special meeting on May 21, 2025, the City Council considered the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee, City staff and the City’s consultants, the staff report and accompanying attachments and materials, as well as any writings submitted to the City Council and any public testimony provided on the agenda item at that meeting.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of San Marino, California, as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby finds the recitals set forth in this resolution are true and correct and adopts same. The City Council further makes the determinations set forth in this CITY OF SAN MARINO RESOLUTION NO. R-25-19
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resolution based upon the staff report, attachments, writings received and testimony given at the special City Council meeting of May 21, 2025 and all such information is incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 2. CEQA Determination. The Council finds and determines that the award of contract referenced in this Resolution is exempt from CEQA in that it is not a “project” subject to CEQA.
Alternatively, the Council finds and determines that even if determined to be a project, the award of contract is exempt from CEQA pursuant to the exemptions described in CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Class 1 Existing Facilities categorical exemption), 15302 (Class 2 Replacement or Reconstruction categorical exemption), and 15061 (Common Sense Exemption), and none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions detailed in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply as detailed in the staff report. City staff is directed and authorized to prepare and file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk and the CA Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (recently renamed and now known as the CA Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation).
SECTION 3. Award of Contract. The Council hereby approves the Agreement with Valley Vista Services, Inc. attached to the staff report. The Mayor is authorized to sign the same on behalf of the City.
SECTION 4. Proposition 218 Hearing. The City Council directs staff to take those steps necessary to set a public hearing for the setting of rates as contemplated in the Agreement.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED, at a meeting of the City Council of the City of San Marino, California, on this 21st day of May, 2025.
GRETCHEN SHEPHERD ROMEY
MAYOR
ATTEST:
ALISON WALKER
CITY CLERK
CITY OF SAN MARINO RESOLUTION NO. R-25-19
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF SAN MARINO )
I, Alison Walker, City Clerk of the City of San Marino, California, hereby certify that Resolution No R-25-19 was adopted by the City Council of the City of San Marino at a special meeting held on the 21st day of May, 2025, and that the same was adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
________________________________
ALISON WALKER, CITY CLERK
CITY OF SAN MARINO