Chris Clark doesn't have an "e" on his last name.

Ya think they could put the trash cans back, or even close to the houses they came from? Mine and my neighbors are always left in the driveway or waaaaaaaay down the street, on their sides.
Of course, that's after the "scavengers" have removed all of the aluminum cans for their own recycling programs. At 0400. In their new $50,000 pickup trucks.

Can you say "sweetheart deal"??? ... you tell the truth Viejo! ... why am I guessing that "campaign donations" either already HAVE been deposited or WILL be deposited into bank accounts of those board members who just decided that there is no damned good reason to actually put the contract out FOR BID???!!! ... this isn't San Francisco or Los Angeles, but CORRUPTION IS STILL CORRUPTION, even when it takes place in little Mountain View! ... SHAME ON YOU to the council members who just rubber-stamped Recology onto the new contract! And NOT ONLY IS THERE NO COMPETITION FOR THE CONTRACT, but Recology will ALSO RAISE COMMERCIAL RATES OVER 20 PERCENT!!! THAT is a pretty sweet deal.

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

Rates haven't been set by a competitive process in over 80 years (!), two other interested vendors made themselves known to the city council, and some customers will face up to a 20% rate hike next year. It sure seems short-sighted not to have hired the necessary help to take this out to a competitive bid.

I agree with BD. Competitive bidding is the best way to get the best contract. Yes, the in-house cost of processing a competitive acquisition is higher and more time-consuming but worth it to ensure the best contract--even if the best contract winds up costing as much as the proposed Recology contract and even if it is, in fact, with Recology.

It's just too risky to assume this sole-source contract is the best deal for Mountain View.

Mission Trails has done an exceptional job in Los Altos and couldn't even be heard in Mountain View. Sounds like political payoff. Something stinks and it isn't just the garbage!

This all stinks to high H E Double Hockey Sticks.

I have a 600 square foot business that generates a LOT of recyclables in the form of packing materials, but very little actual garbage. Yet, I am FORCED by city policy to pay for a 33 gallon garbage can that I rarely fill. As a "commercial" account I am not eligible for the 16 gallon mini can. I have become disillusioned in regards to recycling since I can simply stuff my 33 gallon can with everything every week. Besides, even though I have been in business for nearly a year, I still haven't been able to get them to consistently pick up my recycling cans.

Don't even get me started on my $3 worth of water I pay for, with an associated $14 "meter charge" and $40 for sewer when the only thing going down my drain is the $3 worth of water......


Guess why I ran for city council?

Yet you voted for the status quo.......

What a crock. We get what we deserve though. We need to vote these jokers off the council.

I'm not even sure why the city is in the garbage/recycling business. I've lived in placed where it's all private. You pick the company and they come get your garbage. Or you could take it to the dump yourself if you were really cheap.

No city in the middle getting their cut.

Recology has done a good job on the residential side. OK, maybe their trucks do not get the can exactly where you put it out.

I would love to see a service where we can put out food waste as well for composting. This is a service that Redwood City has now.

Let us be realistic. If the City Council voted to go to bid, you would all be complaining. I could hear it now...

"Recology has done a great job. Why would the Council pay that much to find a new company?"

"It is going to cost tons of money to change. This Council needs to remember our economy and stop spending like there is no budget"

Sound familiar to anyone?

Dear Cpuncil:

Very disappointed in all of you. You promised to finally go out to bid for what is the largest contract the City lets. And the system you approved is behind the times, the only good thing is if it is true that you aren't forcing single stream on us. (Mixing paper with cans/bottles contaminates paper and reduces markets for paper.) Your worse action was continuing bi-weekly collection of greenwaste when that is the service (with food) that should be weekly then allowing dry garbage to move to a bi-weekly collection.

All in all, all of you get an 'F' for this along with not living up to the promise to go out for competitive bid.

Shame on you.

Recology large trucks and careless drivers inflicts considerable damage to private properties. They take short cuts driving their heavy trucks over curbs causing the concrete to crumble they leak oil and other substances and cause the asphalt to deteriorate rapidly on private roads.
Is the city going to compensate property owners for the damages caused by their contractor?

Wow, City Council totally boffed this one in my opinion! Does this now set precedent for other companies to enter into no-bid contracts because they've DONE the job for so long? Hmm? If I were up for renegotiation, I would cite the Recology deal.

And didn't we just get notification that garbage and sewer rates are increasing July 1st?

Shameful!

Historically garbage companies only served the town they were in. Of course over the years and especially over the last 2 decades there has been immense consolidation but even prior to that since historic garbage companies had one client, cities had to give the company 5, yes five, year notice that they were going to go out to bid for the garbage (and later in the late 1980s and 1990s for recycling and yardwaste). After years of pushing Mtn. View to go out to bid (think when Rosemary Stasek was on councill) we, the environmental community, finally convinced the city to tell Foothill Disposal (now renamed Recology)that the city was going to go out to bid. Now the City is reversing that decision.

Who knows what services we could get if the city allowed competition to allow increased services and any possible savings in collection or processing.

Hey Antonio, you forgot to add that we run red lights, force bicyclists into bushes, eat our lunches while we text as we drive our trucks down your street and toss the wrappers out the window. What a drama queen! You've personally observed every single Recology driver, I assume. We drivers take pride in our work and strive to keep our customers happy as we are the ones that come face to face with many of you during our routes. Keeping a good driver/customer relationship makes our encounters with you, the public stress free and makes resolving any conflicts much easier. If you're any older than, say 15, you should know better than to throw out such broad generalizations like that. Don't forget, your streets also have UPS, FedEx, flower delivery, U.S. Postal among many other delivery vehicle that can inadvertently run over a curb or two from time to time.

While I don't have a personal problem with Recology like Antonio (get him Recology Driver, lol), I agree with other respondents that a no-bid contract is not conducive to 'good government.' The City Council did not do "us" any favors by not bidding out this contract.

I don't know much about contracts, but does anyone know what type of bidding procedure is used? Is it lowest bidder, ALWAYS? Or best contract put forth? Do the companies bid anonymously? Why couldn't Recology "win" the bid straight up?

The Voice should investigate this for the citizens.

Hi

Generally governments are pressured to take the lowest bid but there is room to compare services offered and price. A bidder might cost more but provide a better range of services and be chosen. Other things that are or should be considered include the record of the bidding companies, i.e., safety record, missed pickups and other service delivery records, labor issues, and on and on. Zero waste services are very much contract driven and the bid specs themselves are quite detailed. I think it is the fact that it is a complicated and time consuming process that leads small cities like Mtn. View, and heck San Franicsco to continue to stay with sole sourcing services.

It takes pressure from the public to tell elected officials that competition is best for all of us.