City Extends Garbage Pickup Contract Through 2023

Residential garbage service rates in Martinez are frozen through the end of the year and assorted "special" pickup services provided in a 10-year contract extension approved Wednesday night by the City Council.

"I've got nothing but praise for this," Councilman Mark Ross said before the council's unanimous vote to extend the contract with Allied Waste Services (AWS) through January 2023. "This is beyond what I would have expected from the negotiations."

"I think we're getting a lot of benefit with this," said Mayor Rob Schroder, who served on the city negotiating team with Councilwoman Lara DeLaney, calling the Pacheco company's services "fantastic."

Service in the extended contract will include additional recycling and yard-waste carts on request; nine special pickup dates for specified items (e.g. bulky items or unlimited yard waste), including a spring cleanup day; on-demand pickup of illegally dumped waste; annual payments of $25,000 and a onetime contribution of $500,000 to the city's recycling fund.

"I don't see a lot of streets being repaired with this money, but I think it can be of help with (clearing) our storm drains," Councilman Michael Menesini said in response to staff's explanation of how the fund payments will be used.

The contract was explained by city analyst Michael Chandler, including a new rate structure that limits rate increases to 90 percent of the year's Consumer Price Index with a maximum hike of 4 percent, "barring an extraordinary rate adjustment."

"This is a great simplification of the rate-setting process that we have had for a number of years," said Chandler, who noted that the annual spring cleanup "is something that has been very successful and popular in Pleasant Hill."

"I think it's terrific all the additional benefits we're getting from the extension," said Delaney, the only council member to make additional suggestions Wednesday. She asked that AWS consider raising the price for a 64-gallon cart and lowering it for a 32-gallon cart, noting that a consultant's report said Martinez' rate is low for the former and high for the latter compared with neighboring cities.

Noting that one goal is to reduce the waste taken to landfills, Delaney added, "We should be moving people in that direction through incentives."

Assistant City Manager Alan Shear said that could be considered after the city's contract expires in January 2013.