CYPRESS : Council Approves Extending Contract With Trash Hauler

Despite arguments by Councilman Tom Carroll against the move, the City Council has authorized a 10-year extension to the city’s existing trash-hauling contract.

The council at its meeting this week also endorsed a possible loan to the hauler, Briggeman Industries.

Briggeman Industries wants to build a recycling facility on its property in Los Alamitos. The company has asked Cypress to help it finance the facility with a $700,000 loan to be paid back over 20 years.

City Manager Darrell Essex told the council that the proposed agreement would help the city meet state-required goals for trash recycling. Essex also said the city would get back its loan money, with interest.

But Carroll strongly objected to the proposals.

“I don’t think it’s the city’s business to be a banker,” Carroll said. “City residents are going to have a lot of questions about this, and we’d better have answers.”

The council authorized Essex to negotiate a 10-year extension to Briggeman’s existing 10-year contract with Cypress. That action also authorized Essex to negotiate a possible $700,000 loan to the trash hauler.

The vote was 4 to 0, with Councilwoman Gail H. Kerry abstaining because she said she had done business with Briggeman in the past year. Carroll voted in favor, explaining that he did so so he could later move for a vote to reconsider.

“In two weeks, at the council’s next meeting, I’m going to request that staff bring us more information about this matter,” Carroll said in an interview Tuesday. “I don’t think the council had all the information it needs, including what the other options are. If I’m still not convinced about the need for this, I’m going to ask for a vote to reconsider.”