Press Democrat coverage of the
Great Petaluma Garbage Fiasco of 2005
Press Democrat article, January 28, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
By JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The three companies vying for Petaluma's garbage franchise are gearing up for a new contest after the City Council reopened consideration of the contract, a prize that could be worth as much as $101 million over the next 10 years.
Two council members reversed themselves this week and called for a new vote after their first choice resulted in an uproar over possible rate hikes.
After a two-year marathon that had apparently narrowed the field from four bidders to a single finalist, Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco, there's a four-week sprint shaping up with another council vote as soon as late February.
Three companies remain in the running. Each has backers with deep roots at City Hall, and each is gearing up for the renewed debate.
Norcal, which is being advised by former Councilman Brian Sobel, said it will continue to disseminate information about its proposal, which was picked by the council on a 4-3 vote last week.
Its competitors are Empire Waste Management, the city's current hauler, and Green Waste Recovery of San Jose.
Each has well-connected political figures in its corner: former Councilwoman Jane Hamilton and former county Supervisor Ernie Carpenter for Green Waste and former Supervisor Jim Harberson for Empire Waste. Former City Manager John Scharer also has been widely mentioned as an Empire Waste backer.
As the dust settled from Monday's announcements by Councilman Mike Harris and Councilwoman Karen Nau that they want to reconsider the issue, Green Waste executive Michael Gross said his company still hopes to get the contract.
"It's not over until there's a vote," he said. "I haven't settled on a strategy but I'm sure part of it will involve recontacting council members," he said.
James Landa, a spokesman for Empire Waste, said his company would meet to discuss its options for pursuing the contract.
He also said Empire Waste is ready to press for a referendum on the contract. "We're going to move forward with that," he said.
The contract is among the largest controlled by the City Council, representing $50 million to $101 million in revenue for the winner.
It's also a source of revenue for the city, which collects a franchise fee based on the gross revenue of the hauling company.
The current fee is 13.22 percent, according to Norcal.
Whichever company receives the contract, Petaluma residents will see a change in how their trash is collected.
Conditions set by the city include single-stream recycling, in which separate bins for paper, glass and aluminum will be replaced by a single barrel for all recyclables. Other conditions include weekly pickup of lawn clippings and street sweeping.
The state requires cities to recycle half of all waste, and Petaluma asked the haulers to submit bids that included recycling rates of 50 percent, 60 percent and 70 percent.
Among the three finalists, a city consultant said Norcal would have the highest rates, ranging from $21 to $33 a month for a 60-gallon container, depending on the level of recycling.
The company said the cost was driven by its plan to build a facility in Petaluma to sort recyclables and serve as a transfer station for landfill-bound refuse.
Green Waste submitted proposals for 50 percent and 70 percent recycling, with monthly rates estimated at $18 and $19, respectively, for a 60-gallon can.
Empire Waste submitted proposals for 50 percent and 60 percent with rates of $15 and $16 respectively.
A 3.8 percent surcharge for the county's joint-garbage authority would be added to each rate, according to city officials.
Even though the rivals are gearing up, a formal vote on reconsideration won't be cast until Feb. 7.
A vote on the contract would have to come at a subsequent meeting, which has yet to be scheduled but could be in late February.
At Monday's meeting, Nau said she would like the city to seek new bids, but a majority of the council members said they want to stick with the three proposals on the table.
Press Democrat editorial, January 26, 2005
Published on January 26, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
PAGE: B6
When a narrow four-member majority of the Petaluma City Council made its controversial decision last week awarding a garbage contract to a San Francisco-based company it assured three things:
The third could have been prevented had the council made it clear from the outset that its primary objective was to bring Petaluma up to the point where 70 percent of the city's garbage is being recycled. Of course, the council majority also needed to do a better job of selling the community on the need for this potentially expensive ideal.
But it didn't. Instead, the majority picked a waste hauler, Norcal Waste Systems, which had pledged to help the city reach the 70 percent mark. But the council members didn't do a very good job of explaining or justifying their actions.
Petalumaresidents are now charged $8.76 for a 32-gallon can and $15.33 for a 64-gallon can through the current service provider, Empire Waste Management. According to a consultant hired by the city, the rates Norcal would likely charge to meet a 70 percent recycling standard would be $19.26 a month for a 32-gallon can and $33.69 for a 64-gallon can.
These are the figures that made city residents and businesses understandably nervous and prompted large crowds to turn out at City Council meetings on Saturday and Monday to protest the decision.
This is why council members Mike Harris and Karen Nau now have wisely said they want to reconsider their votes for Norcal. A meeting to reconsider the contract decision has been scheduled for Feb. 7.
Such backpedaling is not the best way to run a city. But it's better for the council to back up and do this right than forge ahead with a decision that it -- and residents -- may regret later.
Norcal representatives contend there has been a lot of misinformation floating around. They say that under their basic proposal, residents would start off paying $12.09 for a 32-gallon can and $21 for a 64-gallon can. Norcal officials contend they will be making it so easy for residents to recycle that many residents who are now paying $15.33 for a 64-gallon can will end up paying $12.09 for a can half that size. Thus, some will actually see a reduction in rates.
This is all true. But it needs to be made clear that these charges depend on the city being satisfied with a recycling rate of around 50 percent. Norcal acknowledges that to achieve a 70 percent recycling rate, it would need to build a 10-acre transfer station somewhere in Petaluma, which is one of the reasons why the consultant predicted rate increases of up to 120 percent.
This begs the question, if city officials are satisfied with staying at the 50 percent level, why wouldn't they follow the recommendation of the city staff and award the contract to Empire Waste, which can achieve that level while increasing rates a mere 3.8 percent?
Keep in mind that whoever gets the contract will be required to do away with Petaluma's antiquated system of having residents divide up their recyclables into three bins. Going forward, all of this material will go into one large container, which automatically will drive up the city's recycling rates and will encourage some residents to ask for a smaller can.
Before it takes its next vote, the City Council needs to make clear whether it wants low rates and a modest increase in recycling or high rates and a significant increase in recycling. It can't have the best of both equations. It just doesn't add up.
Prress Democrat article, January 25, 2005
Published on January 25, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: A1
PETALUMA -- After an avalanche of complaints about the possibility of a stiff increase in garbage rates, two members of the Petaluma City Council said Monday they want to reconsider their vote for a new hauler.
The reversals by Councilman Mike Harris and Councilwoman Karen Nau give new life to two trash hauling companies' bids that were rejected in favor of San Francisco-based Norcal Waste Systems.
``The people of Petaluma are not happy, and I made the wrong decision,'' said Nau, who took office earlier this month.
A formal vote on reconsideration was scheduled for Feb. 7.
The council picked Norcal a week ago on a 4-3 vote although its rates were the highest among the three bidders. Large crowds turned out at council meetings Saturday and Monday to protest the decision amid calls for a referendum and threats of a recall.
A consultant hired by the city estimated that a contract with Norcal could result in rates' doubling during the first 16 months if the company were to recycle 70 percent of Petaluma's refuse -- about a 40 percent boost from the current recycling rate.
Norcal officials disputed the rate estimate, saying they would initially seek to increase rates by about a third and work to keep them from increasing thereafter. They also said most customers could switch to smaller, less expensive trash cans because of the increase in recycling.
Harris and Nau joined Councilmen Keith Canevaro and Mike O'Brien on the vote to negotiate with Norcal on a franchise agreement that could be worth up to $101 million over 10 years. Mayor David Glass, Councilman Mike Healy and Councilwoman Pamela Torliatt voted against Norcal.
On Monday, Canevaro said he would stick with his decision in favor of Norcal. O'Brien made favorable comments about the company but didn't state explicitly whether he would continue to support it.
Although the council cannot formally adopt a procedure for reconsideration of the contract before the Feb. 7 vote, four of the seven members said they want to choose among the existing bidders rather than seek entirely new proposals.
The other bidders are Empire Waste Management of Sonoma County and Green Waste Recovery of San Jose. Empire Waste is Petaluma's current hauler.
The city's search for a trash hauler has gone on for more than two years and has cost $350,000 in consulting fees that will be passed on to ratepayers.
Consultant Tracy Swanborn of Hilton Farnkopf & Hobson said the cost under Norcal's current proposal could result in a 120 percent increase in residential rates. Business rates probably would go up by a similar amount, and perhaps more if the city chose to subsidize rates for some customers, such as senior citizens.
Green Waste's $59 million proposal could result in a 27 percent rate increase, while Empire Waste Management's $50.5 million proposal could bring about a 3.8 percent increase, the consultant said.
Under terms set by the city, all three companies would be required to offer single-stream recycling, replacing the three bins currently used for paper, aluminum and glass with a single barrel for all three.
The single-stream system has boosted recycling elsewhere.
The main difference among the three proposals is that Norcal and Green Waste offered to increase the city's recycling rate from 50 percent to 70 percent. Empire Waste Management offered to increase recycling to 60 percent. The state recycling requirement is 50 percent.
Norcal said much of its added cost is tied to plans to build a facility in Petaluma to sort recyclables and to serve as a transfer station for landfill-bound trash. Green Waste and Empire Waste plan to use existing facilities elsewhere.
Explaining her change of heart, Nau said she had been unable to ``go anywhere in Petaluma since the vote was cast without someone stopping me and wanting to know why we voted for the most expensive choice.'' She favors a new competitive bidding process.
Harris said he received about 35 phone calls at home Sunday complaining about the proposed Norcal contract, many of them apparently generated by a phone bank.
He said a matrix with a clear comparison of the rate impacts of the three proposals should be disseminated to the public. Then the council should vote again to choose among the three proposals on the table, he said.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
Press Democrat letter to the editor, January 24, 2005
Published on January 24, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: DAVID GLASS, Mayor of Petaluma
PAGE: B6
COLUMN: LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK
EDITOR: Petaluma garbage rates for both businesses and residential service are going to more than double unless one of the four City Council members who voted for the increased fee reconsiders his or her vote, or the voters of Petaluma insist the issue go to the ballot box. Three companies, all highly qualified, bid on the contract for the next 10 years. Waste Management offered an excellent package consisting of increased recycling to 60 percent, an improved street sweeping program, and assurances of landfill capacity. The contract would have provided a modest 3.5 percent increase in rates.
Green Waste Recovery offered a better recycling program that in the long run due to landfill capacity would have resulted in a short-term increase in rates but might very well have proven to save the environment and the ratepayer money over the life of the contract. Norcal offers tremendous service but at a far greater price. The rates will more than double for residents and businesses alike.
Just recently Petalumans turned down a modest utility tax that would have allowed us to fix all of their streets. In light of that, even as a relatively new face on the political scene, I don't understand how the four council members who voted for the highest price could think they were voting the desires of the community.
I encourage the public to communicate their wishes and address their concerns to the four votes that directed the city to draft a contract with Norcal which will more than double the cost of garbage service. The four councilmembers are Mike O'Brien, Keith Canevero, Karen Nau and Mike Harris.
DAVID GLASS
Mayor of Petaluma
Press Democrat article, January 23, 2005
Published on January 23, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: B1
The furor over selection of a new garbage collection company for Petaluma that will bring higher rates grew Saturday as over 100 residents attended a City Hall meeting and one council member called for a referendum on the decision.
The meeting, scheduled as a City Council goal-setting session, turned into an impassioned discussion of the city's proposed new garbage contract.
The council, on a 4-3 vote last week, rejected lower-cost proposals made by two other garbage haulers and awarded a contract to Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco that could extend from 10 to 13 years
The company and supporters of the agreement said it would maximize recycling and lead to lower costs for many residents as they moved to smaller garbage containers.
But opponents, including the city's chamber of commerce, criticized the agreement as too expensive.
A city consultant estimated that the Norcal proposal could lead to more than doubling the rates for most ratepayers in the first 16 months of the contract.
``I feel like I'm getting hosed,'' Sam Braff told the council.
At 78, he said he still has to work to help his sick wife and cannot afford to pay any more for garbage service.
Councilman Mike Healy vowed to overturn the decision at the ballot box if the council does not change its mind.
``If the council majority persists in this misguided course of action, I will seek to put this on a ballot,'' he said. ``I'm confident we will have overwhelming support to oppose this unnecessary 116 percent rate hike.''
Council members Keith Canevaro, Mike Harris, Karen Nau and Mike O'Brien voted Tuesday to give the new contract to Norcal and reaffirmed that decision in remarks they made Saturday.
In voting for Norcal, they rejected lower-cost proposals made by three other haulers.
Council newcomer Nau said it is important for Petaluma to have the highest recycling rate it can get.
``Do we want to go with the lowest bid and have the next generation clean up after us?'' he said.
Mayor David Glass and council members Mike Healy and Pamela Torliatt voted Tuesday against giving the contract to Norcal.
John Legnitto, a Norcal executive, defended the council majority's decision. ``The rates are not going to double,'' he told the council.
Norcal will come in with an initial rate of $12.09 for a 32-gallon can and approximately $21.00 for a 64 gallon-can, a increase of 37-38 percent over current rates, he said.
With increased recycling, many residents will be able to trade down to a 32-gallon can, which is what over 80 percent of San Francisco residents use, he said.
As Norcal implements its services in Petaluma the company will reassess its practices and incorporate new technology to keep rates down, he said.
City consultant Tracy Swanborn of Hilton Farnkopf & Hobson LLC, said in a telephone interview Saturday that a contract with Norcal could result in rate increases of 120 percent for the 88 percent of residents who use 32-gallon and 64-gallon cans during the first 16 months of the contract. After that, the rates could either stabilize or continue to increase, she said.
The rates for 32-gallon and 64-gallon cans under the city's current provider, Empire Waste Management, are $8.76 and $15.33, respectively.
Swanborn's estimate of the Norcal rate impacts is based on the company's presentation to the city that its services will cost an estimated $101 million over 10 years.
Empire Waste Management, the company recommended by City Manager Mike Bierman, proposed estimated costs of $50.5 million over 10 years, with a initial rate increase of 3.8 increase.
The principal difference between the two companies' proposals is that Norcal would recycle 70 percent of Petaluma's garbage while Empire Waste would recycle 60 percent.
Empire Waste is currently recycling 50 percent of Petaluma's waste, which is the minimum required by the state.
Healy said Norcal's offer of initial rates of $12.09 and $21 and unspecified senior citizen discounts was an attempt to ``put lipstick on a pig.''
``If Empire Waste's proposal costs $50 million over 10 years and Norcal's costs $100 million over 10 years, overall, the rates will have to be much higher even if you try to provide a lower rate to some classes of customers,'' he said.
The impact on Petaluma's businesses of Norcal's contract ``is going to be horrendous,'' said Onita Pellegrini, executive director of the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce. Business ratepayers are already subsidizing residential ratepayers, she said.
The franchise agreement with Norcal is set to be approved March 7 but could be canceled if at least one council member changes his or her mind. The contract would also be canceled if a majority of voters say no in a referendum.
Once the franchise agreement is signed, opponents would have 30 days to collect 2,942 signatures to put the referendum on the ballot. A special election would then have to be scheduled and it would take a majority to vote to cancel the contract.
No language for the referendum has yet been proposed but some have suggested letting the voters choose among the four haulers that have submitted proposals. In addition to Norcal and Empire Waste, Green Waste Recovery of San Jose and North Bay Corp. of Sonoma County also submitted proposals.
The next opportunity for the public to comment on the garbage issue will be Monday at the 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. sessions of the City Council.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
Press Democrat editorial, January 23, 2005
Published on January 21, 2005|
© 2005- The Press Democrat
PAGE: P2
Question: Why do the city manager and the two most experienced members of the Petaluma City Council disagree with a council majority that wants to charge residents $34 a month for garbage service?
Answer: City Manager Mike Bierman and council members Mike Healy and Pam Torliatt may have a better understanding of how local folks will respond when they hear the news.
Petalumans understand that higher rates are inevitable. The costs of trucks, labor, insurance, land disposal and more are not going down.
And recycling, which is so important to efforts to protect natural resources, costs more, too.
But there is some limit to what these expanded services should cost, to what people can afford and to what people are willing to pay.
Council members Keith Canevaro, Mike Harris, Karen Nau and Mike O'Brien voted this week to award the city garbage franchise to Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco. Healy, Torliatt and Mayor David Glass voted in the minority.
Norcal promises to increase recycling rates from 50 percent to 70 percent, which is admirable, but the company would also impose the following:
Instead of paying $8.76 a month for a small can, residential customers will pay $19.26 a month. Instead of paying $15.33 for a large can, 56 percent of all residential customers will pay $33.69.
Ouch.
In comparison, the company favored by Healy and Torliatt, Empire Waste Management, offers to increase recycling to 60 percent for an initial rate increase of 3.8 percent -- a truckload less than rate increases of 120 percent.
Garbage contracts are complicated documents involving rate categories, recycling, the ability to deliver on promised services and much more.
Canevaro, Harris, Nau and O'Brien are persuaded that the extra 10 percent in recycling is worth all that additional money.
But it will not go unnoticed that City Manager Bierman, and council members Healy and Torliatt -- who don't always agree on issues -- analyzed the available information and came to a different conclusion.
Almost $34 a month is a lot of money for garbage service.
Press Democrat article, January 21, 2005
Published on January 21, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: P1
The prospect of a 120 percent garbage rate hike next summer has some residents angry with the City Council's pick for a new trash hauler.
``Boy that's really ridiculous,'' Al Reed said outside Petaluma Market. ``That's too much of an increase. It's too high already.''
Pat Schotka sent this e-mail to council members: ``You must be out of your minds to disregard the cost to residents. Are any of you on fixed incomes?''
Their comments were echoed by dozens of others who expressed their concern over the council's 4-3 vote Tuesday to negotiate a new 10- to 13-year garbage contract with Norcal Waste Systems.
The San Francisco company's proposal included the largest rate increase among the four bidders for Petaluma's $50.5 million garbage contract. Norcal's plan includes construction of a new recycling facility in or near Petaluma, and promises to boost the city's recycling rate by 40 percent.
A city consultant estimated that during the first 16 months of a Norcal contract, the rate for a 32-gallon can would go from $8.76 to $19.26 a month and the rate for a 64-gallon can would go from $15.33 to $33.69.
Council members Keith Canevaro, Mike Harris, Karen Nau, and Mike O'Brien voted to go with Norcal, saying the company has the best record of increasing recycling rates and offers the best prospect for keeping future landfill costs under control. The company is promising to recycle 70 percent of the city's garbage.
Some critics say the city should keep Empire Waste Management, the current service provider, which is offering to recycle 60 percent of the garbage in exchange for a 3.8 percent rate increase.
State law requires local governments to recycle a minimum of 50 percent of their garbage, the city's current level.
``People are going to be coming to the City Council with pitchforks,'' said Councilman Mike Healy, who joined Mayor David Glass and Councilwoman Pam Torliatt in voting against Norcal.
City Manager Mike Bierman recommended that the council stick with Empire Waste.
The first opportunity the public will have to comment on the decision will be during a special council meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday. The council's next regular sessions are at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday. Both meetings are set for City Hall.
Healy and Glass both called on residents who are concerned about the rate increase to come to the meetings to express their views. Both said they hope at least one of the four council members who voted in favor of Norcal will reconsider.
The council can change its mind about the service provider any time prior to the execution of a new franchise agreement, which is now set for March 7, Glass said, citing advice provided by the city attorney.
If the franchise agreement is completed on schedule, the new service would go into effect July 1.
If the council won't reconsider its choice, both Glass and Healy said the selection of a new service provider should be put to a vote of the people.
Joan Cooper, a yoga instructor, said she is an environmentalist and favors recycling. However, she said, ``to more than double rates for only a 10 percent increase in recycling seems out of proportion to me.''
Whether there should be a new recycling center in the city is something that people should have a chance to vote on, she said.
The Norcal vote already is promising to remain a political issue through the 2006 campaign, when Canevaro, Glass, Harris and Healy will be up for re-election.
Retired postal worker Spence Burton, who ran fifth out of five candidates in his first run for council in November, had harsh words about Canevaro's vote.
``The entire community supported him because he went to fight for his country and his first official act when he comes back is to screw those among us who can afford it the least,'' Burton said.
Canevaro didn't return a call for comment.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
Press Democrat article, January 19, 2005
Published on January 19, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
Correction: For the Record published January 20, 2005
An article on Page B1 Wednesday incorrectly stated trash collection rates in Petaluma. The cost of a 32-gallon can is $8.76 a month and the cost of a 64-gallon can is $15.33 a month. (The error has been corrected below.)
BYLINE: JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: B1
A sharply divided Petaluma City Council voted Tuesday to negotiate a new garbage contract that could more than double the rates paid by most residential customers.
Rejecting the city manager's recommendation to stick with Petaluma's current trash hauler, the council chose Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco for a 10- to 13-year contract valued at $50.5 million.
If a final contract is worked out on schedule, Norcal will replace Empire Waste Management on July 1.
The decision caps a three-year effort for the city, which hadn't put its trash contract up for bid in decades.
After a round of talks with three finalists, City Manager Mike Bierman recommended Empire Waste, saying it could boost the city's recycling rate from 50 percent to 60 percent and provide other enhanced services for an initial rate increase of 3.8 percent.
But his recommendation was rejected on a 4-3 vote.
Council members Keith Canevaro, Mike Harris, Karen Nau, and Mike O'Brien sided with Norcal, saying they were impressed with its track record in achieving higher recycling rates.
Norcal promised to recycle 70 percent of the city's garbage.
According to a city-commissioned analysis of Norcal's bid made public last week, residential customers will go from paying $8.76 a month for a 32-gallon can to $19.26 a month. Those with 64-gallon cans -- 56 percent of ratepayers -- would go from paying $15.33 a month to $33.69.
The rate schedule will be in place for 16 months.
``For me it was never about the price,'' Canevaro said. ``I think the citizens want to keep stuff from going into the landfills.''
The state requires local governments to recycle at least 50 percent, the city's current level.
Mayor David Glass and council members Pamela Torliatt and Mike Healy voted against Norcal. Healy said he favored Empire Waste and Glass supported a third bidder, Green Waste of San Jose.
``I'm not sure how people are going to swallow the $33.69 for a 60-gallon can,'' said Torliatt, who didn't cite a preference at the meeting but previously indicated support for Waste Management.
The next step is for the city to negotiate a franchise agreement with Norcal that will determine details of the new service and establish a mechanism for future rate increases.
In supporting the Waste Management proposal, Bierman said the company appeared to ``to offer the best level of service at the most reasonable cost.''
The loss of the Petaluma contract continues a losing streak for Waste Management, which once had a near monopoly on trash hauling in Sonoma County. But it has lost bidding wars to newcomer North Bay Corp. in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Windsor in recent years. It also lost the Napa contract to a locally formed company in December.
Norcal has been San Francisco's trash collector since 1921. According to Hoover's, a publisher of business data, Norcal also handles garbage collection, recycling, and other waste management services for approximately 400,000 residential, industrial, and commercial customers in more than 50 California communities.
The employee-owned company operates landfills, transfer stations, composting facilities, materials-recovery facilities, and hundreds of recycling programs.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose A. Sanchez Or. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com
Press Democrat article, January 15, 2005
Published on January 15, 2005
© 2005- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: JOSE L. SANCHEZ Jr.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: B1
After weighing proposals from three garbage haulers, Petaluma City Manager Mike Bierman is recommending that the city stay with its current service provider, Empire Waste Management.
The 10-year contract, which can be extended by three years, is worth $50.5 million.
Waste Management is offering to increase the city's recyling rate from 50 percent to 60 percent and make other service enhancements in exchange for an estimated rate increase of 3.8 percent.
For a residential customer who now pays $15.33 a month for a 60-gallon can, that would mean an increase of 53 cents a month.
Competing proposals by Green Waste Recovery of San Jose and Norcal Waste Systems of San Francisco would increase the 60-gallon rate respectively to $19.53 or $29.07.
In a report released Friday, Bierman said ``Empire Waste appears to offer the best level of service at the most reasonable cost.''
``We're getting higher (recycling) for little or no rate increase and I feel good about it,'' he said.
The City Council is set to review Bierman's recommendation during a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
If the council goes along, it would mean the end of a regional losing streak for Empire Waste, which has lost bidding wars to newcomer North Bay Corp. in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Windsor in recent years and lost the Napa contract to a locally formed company in December.
A subsidiary of the nation's largest trash hauler, Empire Waste serves 50,000 customers in unincorporated Sonoma County, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Cotati and Petaluma. The company has served Petaluma for 30 years.
North Bay Corp., which had offered to cut rates by 5 percent, was eliminated from consideration by the Petaluma council last year after Bierman said he didn't believe the company could provide the services they offered at the cost they claimed. Some council members also said they were concerned about North Bay's vehicle maintenance record.
Waste Management spokesman James Landa said his company was pleased to receive Bierman's recommendation.
``We're looking forward to the council awarding the contract to Waste Management,'' he said Friday.
If the council taps Waste Management on Tuesday, the next step would be negotiating a franchise agreement, which would cover such things as a mechanism for future rate increases.
Among the service changes to be included in a new contract are a single-stream recycling system, which would replace separate receptacles for glass, aluminum and paper with a single wheeled can. In addition, yard debris would be collected once a week instead of once every two weeks.
Waste Management also is proposing a food-waste recycling program that would help the company reach the 60 percent recycling level it is promising. State law requires local governments to achieve a minimum of 50 percent recycling.
Councilman Mike Healy, who had said several months ago he wouldn't support any contract that included a rate increase, said Friday he anticipated supporting Bierman's recommendation.
``This meets my goal,'' he said, referring to the Waste Management proposal.
The 3.8 percent rate increase sought by Waste Management is equivalent to what all haulers would have to charge to pay for $250,000 in new costs relating to household hazardous waste services, public education and other services the city agreed to pay for as part of its garbage Joint Powers Agreement with the county and other cities, Bierman said.
The rate estimate is contingent on the city continuing to use the Redwood Landfill near Novato. Sonoma County has objected to Petaluma breaking away from its trash-hauling consortium and rates could change if the city is forced to return, Bierman said.
Waste Management's initial proposal to Petaluma would have led to rate increases of 23 percent to 37 percent, depending on the level of recycling the city selected.
However, in the more than two years since Petaluma opened its garbage franchise to competition, Waste Management has ``become more cost-effective with recycling by enhancing existing equipment,'' Landa said.
``The open (proposal) process was very effective because it gave all proposers an opportunity to come up with ideas to lower costs,'' he said.
Mayor David Glass credited Bierman's negotiating skills with helping to bring down the proposed new rates.
The recommendation in favor of Waste Management ``is a very good solution,'' he said. ``It meets the primary goal of the council to achieve a higher rate of (recycling) without increasing rates.''
If the council approves Waste Management and a franchise agreement is successfully negotiated, the new contract would start July 1.
You can reach Staff Writer Jose L. Sanchez Jr. at 762-7297 or jsanchez@pressdemocrat.com