County council votes for single contractor on curbside waste collection

Staff recommendation carries the day despite spirited opposition from Penetanguishene mayor
By Kate Harries AWARE Simcoe March 27 2012
Penetanguishene Mayor Gerry Marshall today failed in his bid to open up the county’s  Request for Proposals process so Simcoe County councillors get basic information about bids on the new waste collections contract ahead of approving negotiations with a preferred bidder chosen by staff.
And although Marshall garnered some support for his view that the county should share the business between at least two contractors, two thirds of council were content to go with the staff recommendation in favour of opening negotiations with an unidentified “Proposal A.”

Staff will reveal who the successful bidder is after the contract is signed.
“I like to be in possession of all the facts before making my decision,” Marshall said in an impassioned speech that drew applause from the public gallery.
Marshall pointed out that councillors have no idea what the total dollar value is of the favoured bid in what has been described as the largest contract ever let by the county – covering seven years with a two-year option to renew.
“Overall the report leaves me floundering,” he said.
And, he noted, going to a single-source collection service will most likely put one or more of the current contractors out of business.
Although Proposal A for the whole county was more than $2 million less than the next lowest bid, Proposal B offered the best deal for East Simcoe.
Marshall said the $2 million in savings are not guaranteed because of the likelihood that – in a time of major debate and upheaval over the waste issue – the county will want to make changes to its collections system. If there’s a change, the savings will disappear, he said. “As soon as you change the game on a single-source contract… that’s when the prices start to go upward.”
He also asked what happens if there’s a strike. Environmental Services Director Rob McCullough said a contingency plan will be written into the contract.
But Marshall urged that Proposals A, B and C be kept in play and that staff be instructed to negotiate with those firms “to our advantage.”
He also urged that staff find a way to educate council on what’s going on. “I want the facts, I need the facts to make a proper decision and those facts are lacking in this environment… I’m being asked to vote on the largest contract the county has ever let and I don’t have the facts and I just can’t in good conscience vote in favour of this recommendation.”
Procurement director Dawn Hipwell said the RFP process involves bidders providing the county with sensitive information like “different business practices and trade secrets and things that the’re trying to get ahead in the market…
“It’s just a matter of trying to protect our bidders,” she said.
Hipwell noted that county councillors were invited to sit on the commuittee that evaluates the bids. Councillors are also welcome to meet one-on-one with staff to get the details Marshall is seeking, she said
But Marshall replied that no councillor was able to make the 10-day commitment that staff said would be necessary. And, he said, “we are part of a decision-making team here.” For councillors to go in one by one to get information from staff does not guaranteee the same level of knowledge across the board for 32 councillors.
Ramara Mayor Bill Duffy asked why the information about the identity of the favoured bidder and the dollar amounts of the various bids could not be provided in camera.
Hipwell replied that the Municipal Act is very specific on what can and cannot be discussed in camera and the topic of the waste contract does not fall into any of the specified categories.
Springwater Deputy Mayor Dan McLean, a retired provincial bureaucrat, said he is familiar with the process used by the county and it works. Collingwood Deputy Maory Rick Lloyd said he doesn’t need to “micro-manage staff.”
But both Adjala-Tosorontio Deputy Mayor Mary Small Brett and Ramara Deputy Mayor Basil Clarke expressed concern about going with a single contractor county-wide.
“This is a large contract and it’s quite possible that we’re going to create a monster down the road, seven years from now,” Small Brett said, urging that two haulers be considered as a minimum.
“I do have a concern with one contract,” said Clarke, “We have nine bids this time. Next time we’ll have three. The time after that we’ll have two.”
The bidders are BFI, Emterra, Green For Life, Mid Ontario Disposal, Miller Waste Systems, Modern Landfill, Moreau Enterprises and Waste Management. One of them submitted two bids.
Deputy Warden Harry Hughes (Warden Cal Patterson was in attendance, but not sufficiently recovered from a recent heart attack to take the chair) turned to the old guard’s traditional closer to conclude the debate.
“At the heart of it it’s a fairly simple process,” said Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Doug White. “I want the garbage and recyclables from my constituents to be picked up by a contractor that’s capable, at the best possible price. And I have great discomfort with some folks here that want my residents to pay more because they don’t like having one contractor.”
The vote (not recorded) was around 8-16 in favour of the staff recommendation.
Previous coverage
County councillors to vote https://www.aware-simcoe.ca/council/simcoe-county/2778-waste.html
Decision time on waste https://www.aware-simcoe.ca/council/simcoe-county/2230-waste.html