Council to Discuss Waste Management Proposals

The Hermosa Beach City Council will conduct a study session Wednesday night to review proposals from four different waste management companies to provide trash and recycling services to the city, starting in January 2013.

The overall cost of trash and recycling services for Hermosa ratepayers will increase between 3 and 40 percent, depending on which proposal is eventually approved, according to city documents.

The city's solid waste and recycling agreement is the most costly and lengthy contract for the city, worth more than $2 million per year and lasting seven years with an optional 24-month extension, a city staff report stated.

Four companies have submitted proposals including Athens Services, Consolidated Disposal Services, Crown Disposal Inc. and Waste Management of Los Angeles.

While waste hauler Athens proposed the cheapest option and Waste Management proposed the most expensive, the city council will not be obligated to choose services based on costs alone.

Under the city's current agreement with Consolidated Disposal Service, refuse and recyclables are collected by separate trucks, and residents pay a flat rate for waste hauling services, regardless of the amount of waste disposed.

In the current competitive bid process, which includes the incumbent hauler Consolidated, the city asked for proposals for both a "cart system" of waste collection as well as a "manual single stream" method of collection. All options include a opt-in green waste program.

Under the cart system, refuse and recyclables are collected separately and residents are charged based on the size and quantity of the provided bins.

With a manual single stream system, refuse and recyclables are collected by one truck from resident-provided containers and then taken to a sorting facility where recyclables are removed. A flat monthly fee is charged to residents regardless of how much waste they throw out.

Although the overall cost for collection services would increase under all four proposals, residential collection rates could actually decrease under the cart system depending on the size and number of bins selected by a resident, according to the report.

Wednesday's meeting will see presentations from three of the four waste haulers and the council will have to opportunity to request additional information from proposers or ask to visit waste management facilities.