From:
To: City Council
Subject: Fwd: Re: Recology
Date: Monday, January 6, 2025 3:18:53 PM
---------- Original Message ----------
From: HEIDI DOUGHTY
To: Sandra Maurer <[email protected]>
Date: 01/06/2025 3:18 PM PST
Subject: Re: Recology
Dear Ms. Maurer,
Thank you for your response. It is crucial to consider the rates of both companies not only for garbage service, but also compost and recycling service rates too. When all the rates combined are added together, SCRR is more expensive (significantly more for many commercial customers).
THIS is the problem, along with the good track record of Recology in the schools, which would be squandered if we switch companies.
Thank you,
Heidi Doughty
On 01/05/2025 1:29 PM PST Sandra Maurer
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear all,
Thank you for writing to council to express your concerns.
When the need for a new garbage contract came to council in April 2023, the vote to renew the contract with Recology was split 3/2. I was one of the three who supported renewing the contract because I had received many comments in support of Recology's services, I believed their services were excellent, and staff had asked to extend the contract. Two council members wanted to go out for proposals.
The council created an ad hoc committee and I served, and still serve on it, as does Vice Mayor Jill McLewis and the assistant city manager, public works director and the city engineer. I fully intended and believed that we would be able to negotiate a new contract with Recology, but after months of effort we failed. Their rate increases were too high and they were inflexible. It was a very disappointing experience.
Next we brought it back to council. The council voted 4-0 (one council member was absent) to go out for proposals. There were two proposers- Recology and Sonoma County Resource Recovery (SCRR) who currently serves Windsor. I studied the proposals very carefully. Although the scoring for both was relatively close, the adhoc committee was in full agreement to switch to SCRR. They are smaller, have a better service model, and they were more responsive to our needs. Their proposed rates are below Recology and they are committed to help residents and businesses right size their containers.
Throughout the process SCRR demonstrated and we believed they are a better fit for Sebastopol.
Warm regards,
Sandra Maurer
Sebastopol City Councilmember