Council hears timeline for Recicla LA contract and warns of consumer risk if program ends early

City staff briefed the Los Angeles City Council on Jan. 21 on the Recicla LA procurement timetable and warned that ending the program now could shift costs to residents.

Dan Myers, who identified himself as a representative of LA Sanitation and Environment, told the council the department received nine proposals, had assigned five evaluation teams and expected evaluations to conclude in February, negotiations to start in March and contracts to be in place by June with full program implementation tied to contracts expiring Feb. 1, 2027. "Estas evaluaciones están programadas para concluir en febrero...las negociaciones están programadas para empezar en marzo," Myers said. He added that if the council issues a termination notice now, a 12‑month clock would run before contracts could be ended and that, absent a new contract, consumers could face surcharges.

Councilmembers pressed staff on consumer protections and the trade-off between protecting the general fund and shielding ratepayers. "Yo prefiero no exponer a los consumidores... Creo que son la prioridad," a councilmember said during the discussion, stressing the potential immediate impact on vulnerable residents if the program were ended or allowed to lapse to a month‑to‑month footing.

Staff said several contingencies would determine whether the general fund or customers bear the costs: if the department can complete the RFP and award contracts on schedule, the general fund exposure would be limited; if not, the city would face a choice between covering program costs from the general fund or allowing providers to pass charges to customers. Myers said the "banking" of procurement and the 12‑month notice requirement were designed to protect the general fund but acknowledged that timing and procurement delays create risk.

Councilmembers noted the program serves tens of thousands of customers and that many service recipients live in low‑income neighborhoods. The council did not adopt a final action to terminate or extend the program at the Jan. 21 meeting; the clerk recorded roll calls consistent with approval of several consent or procedural items earlier in the agenda, but the Recicla LA procurement questions were left to staff follow‑up and the report back in committee and budget hearings.

The council will consider budget and procurement updates in the coming months as evaluations and negotiations proceed; staff committed to returning with progress reports as the RFP and negotiations progress.