LAKE FOREST : City Plans 2 Meetings on Trash Contract Bids
The City Council continued its push to open the trash franchise to competitive bidding by calling for public workshops.
“We want to have the public involved,” Councilwoman Kathryn McCullough said. “This is going to be very, very important.”
The council instructed city staff to plan for at least two workshops in the near future.
Officials say that City Hall has received many phone calls over the past year from residents concerned about rates and putting the contract out to bid. The workshops will seek input from residents on rates, recycling programs and a variety of other issues.
With the city unable to negotiate a new contract with Waste Management Inc., the council last year decided to seek competitive bids for the franchise when it expires in 1996.
Although the trash firm had offered to reduce the monthly rate for residential customers by $1.03, the two sides couldn’t agree on who would pay for recycling programs.
Both sides agreed that it would be costly to bring the city into compliance with state-mandated recycling laws.
However, Mission Viejo got its recycling program at no cost in July when the city awarded a new contract to trash hauler BFI Industries after a long bidding process. The previous holder of the Mission Viejo franchise was Waste Management.
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