Parker directs staff to solicit bids for solid-waste services after recurring service complaints

Parker City Council on March 10 authorized staff to solicit competitive proposals for solid-waste collection and related services for a five-year contract term, after staff outlined performance problems with the incumbent provider and explained timing constraints tied to the current contract.

Kent, the city administrator, told council the current agreement with Republic Services began in December 2021 and has a primary term that expires Dec. 31, 2026; the city must provide termination notice on or before Oct. 1, 2026, if it does not want an automatic renewal. Staff said the contractor has indicated it wants to continue servicing Parker, but staff identified recurring issues: customer-service gaps and confusion, missed pickups, cart-delivery mistakes and high costs for household hazardous-waste (HHW) collection.

Robin, the city’s solid-waste liaison, described recent operational examples: in a nine-week audit she found 11 addresses with missed pickups where the vendor did not return and the city had to intervene, and she said residents often report being bounced between city and vendor customer service. Councilmembers expressed interest in negotiating improved terms, including a penalty or early-termination-for-cause provision, and in exploring whether cart counts or service levels should be adjusted to reduce cost.

Council directed staff to begin direct negotiations and to issue an RFP if negotiations do not yield acceptable terms within roughly 90 days. A motion to go out for proposals for a five-year term passed 4-0; staff said the solicitation will include performance criteria and penalty provisions and consider options such as fixed-rate structures in lieu of an annual CPI escalation.

Next steps: staff to negotiate with the incumbent for up to 90 days and, if not resolved, issue an RFP; staff will include penalty language and explore rate and cart-count alternatives.