COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Shad Springer, Director of Utilities
DATE: March 18, 2025
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing a Services and License Agreement with Paradigm Software, L.L.C. for Hardware, Software, Services and Support for Waste Transactions at the Santa Maria Regional Landfill.
Description:
The City Council will consider adopting a Resolution authorizing an agreement with Paradigm Software, L.L.C. for hardware, software, services, and support f or scale transactions at the Santa Maria Regional Landfill.
Environmental Notice:
The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution authorizing a Gold Support Services and Licensing Agreement with Paradigm Software, L.L.C. to provide waste management hardware, software, services, licensing, and support for scale transactions at the Santa Maria Regional Landfill.
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Maria Regional Landfill (SMRL) is a Class III disposal facility owned and operated by the City of Santa Maria (City). The landfill serves both residential an d commercial customers and operates seven days a week, with public access from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The scale house is critical to daily operations, processing approximately 9,600 transactions per month and tracking material weights for regulatory reportin g purposes.
The main scale house includes three inbound scale lanes and one outbound scale lane.
One inbound lane serves self-haul customers who interact with an attendant and pay by cash, check, or credit card. The remaining two inbound lanes accommodate City collection trucks and commercial haulers. City collection trucks use automated kiosks without requiring attendant interaction, while commercial haulers communicate with attendants via a pneumatic tube system.
2 There is a secondary scale house that se rves primarily as a backup to the main scale house or for special projects. It has a single scale lane, used for both inbound and outbound materials.
DISCUSSION:
The City’s current waste management tracking system, WasteWorks by Carolina Software, Inc., has been in use at SMRL for over two decades. To modernize the system and improve operational efficiency, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in October 2023. The RFP was distributed to four firms specializing in solid waste management software, and two proposals were received - from Paradigm Software, L.L.C. (Paradigm) and Strong Data Automation. The City’s current provider, Carolina Software, Inc., did not submit a proposal in response to the RFP.
Proposals were evaluated based on the criteria outlined in the RFP, including expertise, experience, and project approach. Both firms were interviewed by the Selection Committee, which included representatives from the Utilities Department and Information Technology (IT) Division. Following a thorough review, Paradigm was selected for the project largely based on the firm’s relevant experience, particularly in operating at California landfills and meeting State-specific reporting requirements.
City staff subsequently negotiated the terms of the contract with Paradigm (Attachment B), which was reviewed by the IT Division and City Attorney’s Office. The contract includes the purchase and installation of hardware including touch -screen kiosks for unattended l anes, cameras and mounting systems, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers, and all related appurtenances, and the training and use of Paradigm’s proprietary software. The term of the contract for support services is one year, with automatic renewal of successive one-year periods, unless either party provides advanced notice of cancellation to the other. Given the considerable investment in the project, the City is expected to utilize the Paradigm software through end of life for the SMRL, anticipated around 2032.
Alternative(s)
The City Council may:
1. Decline to authorize the agreement, reject the proposal, and direct staff to reissue the RFP. However, the Utilities Department determined that Paradigm’s proposal was responsive to the RFP and the software proposed will meet the City’s needs.
2. Decline to authorize the agreement and d irect staff to negotiate with the second proposer, Strong Data Automation. While overall pricing was comparable, Strong Data Automation lacks experience with California landfills and state -specific reporting requirements.
3. Decline to authorize the agreement and direct the continued use of existing software, WasteWorks, at the SMRL . While this option may result in short -term cost savings, WasteWorks is an outdated system with severely limited support. Its inefficiencies create operational challenges, particularly in data retrieval and reporting, which require significant time and resources. Continuing with this system 3 could hinder the City's ability to meet evolving regulatory and operational demands effectively.
Fiscal Considerations
The total project cost is $254,725, with hardware at $106,225 and software and services at $148,500. Funding was approved in the 2022-24 budget cycle in Fund 010 Solid Waste Disposal (010-011-052-53-30) and the budget has been carried forward for implementation. Annual support services of $37,000 are limited to a maximum 5 percent increase each year and will be funded through Fund 010 operation and maintenance budget.
Impact to the Community
Implementation of the new scale house software will enhance operational efficiency, improve transaction accuracy, and streamline waste tracking to improve customer service at the landfill.
Impact to the City
The new system will modernize landf ill operations, reduce administrative workload, and enhance data management capabilities. Improved tracking and automation will support long-term sustainability and regulatory compliance. In addition, the new software will be integrated with Teller Cashier ing as part of the City’s ongoing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system project.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution-Award Agreement for Scale house
B. Software Agreement with Paradigm Software, L.L.C.