Poulsbo will seek proposals to outsource garbage collection; draft RFP to go to industry for review

Poulsbo — City staff told the Poulsbo City Council on March 4 that the city will move forward with a formal request for proposals to procure solid-waste collection services and aims to start a new contract on March 1, 2027.

Public Works Director Diane Linnaeus and Public Works Superintendent Mike Lund said staff completed a draft RFP, legal review and a survey of residents. The draft RFP and contract will go to local haulers for industry review before formal solicitation. "As of Monday next week, we're ready to send the RFP and the contract out for industry review," Linnaeus said.

Staff said the plan is to solicit proposals in May–June, evaluate proposals (60% cost, 40% service), and return a recommended contract to council by July or August depending on negotiations. Jeanette Jurgensen, the consultant assisting the city, said staff reached out to roughly eight haulers within a 50-mile radius and one additional interested firm.

The staff presentation summarized resident feedback: the city received 44 substantive survey responses that prioritized lower cost, reliability and customer service. Respondents were generally unwilling to pay extra for bulky-item pickup; staff said options would include paid bulky-item services rather than free universal pickup. Staff noted some city-specific services (e.g., one-yard dumpsters) have relatively low usage and may need council direction.

Next steps: Staff will send the draft RFP for industry review, incorporate feedback, proceed with formal solicitation, evaluate proposals midyear and bring a contract recommendation back to the council. Any contract would be subject to future council approval.

Provenance: Solid-waste procurement update began at SEG 1334 and staff finished the update and took questions through SEG 1542.