HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7145 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7145
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�oEfoer�� To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Subject: SOLID WASTE CONTRACT PROVISIONS September 2, 1986
Recently, the City Council approved a contract for solid waste collec-
tion services. During the discussion, concern was expressed about two
requirements in the contract specifications which the private vendors
were asked to meet. Staff is preparing specifications for the final two
'contracts for solid waste services and desires City Council 's guidance
on the two issues of concern. The two issues are: 1) requiring the
successful bidder for the solid waste collection contracts to complete
the routes to be serviced in a given day by 5:00 p.m.; and 2) requiring
the successful bidder to adhere to a comparable prevailing wage rate for
the personnel to be employed.
BACKGROUND
Two separate contracts were issued for solid waste collection services
with effective dates of March, 1982 and October, 1982, respectively. A
contract for operation of the City-owned landfill was issued with an
effective date of April , 1982. All contracts were for a term of five
years and all the original contracts contain a provision for standard
prevailing wage. The original collection contracts did not contain a
provision for completing routes by 5:00 p.m.
DISCUSSION
The prevai'ling wage section of the contract was critical at the time the
original contracts were approved. At that time, approximately 137 posi-
tions in the City's Solid Waste Management Division were displaced due
to contracting. One of the alternatives available to the displaced
employees was to secure employment with the successful bidder. All bid-
ders responding to the original RFP's offered positions to all displaced
City employees and agreed to pay prevailing wages based on the City's
scale as a minimum.
From a legal standpoint, the City Code does state that all public works
projects that are contracted shall be subjected to a prevailing wage.
However, the City's Department of Law has offered an opinion which
states that this is required on construction-type projects. This type
statement can be legally included in contracts such as the ones issued
by the City for solid waste collection; however, the statement is not
required as is the case of construction-type projects and contracts .
The concern about hours of operation applies only to the collection con-
tracts. Originally, the specifications allowed for collection to begin
at 7:00 a.m. and proceed until sunset. The current contractor takes
advantage of this provision and is consistently collecting refuse
several hours past 5:00 p.m. The workday for City crews begins at 7:00
a.m. and under normal conditions, crews are rarely out after 5:00 p.m.
This difference in operating hours has resulted in many citizens
believing that the contract area is receiving a lower level of service
than that received by citizens who are served by City crews.
LISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No, 7145 - p.2
0,is To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
X Subject: SOLID WASTE CONTRACT PROVISIONS September 2, 1986
it has been noted that garbage "misses" have occurred as a result of
parked vehicles shielding the refuse from the collectors. These vehi-
.cles would normally be away during the day offering a clear view of the
refuse. Citizens also complain that the longer the refuse is out, the
more likely it will be scattered by animals, children or the elements
which results in the citizen having to re-bag the trash and wait for the
next collection day. Additionally, because children and pedestrian
traffic are more prevalent in early evening, citizens perceive a
potential hazard is created when large garbage trucks are in residential
neighborhoods during this time of day.
Staff requests guidance from the City Council before the specifications
of the next contract are sent out. Staff is of the opinion that the
prevailing wage be deleted as a requirement for the next contract and
the hours of operation be continued as proposed.
Should additional information be desired, it will be furnished upon
Douglas Harman
City Manager
-ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS