Logo courtesy of Republic Services

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the Feb. 25 meeting, the Citrus Heights City Council held a public hearing on a possible renewed contract with Republic Services.

The current contract for residential waste collection expires in December 2027, and the council has the option to enter a new 10-year contract with Republic Services or issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to receive bids from other companies. 

After a 60-day negotiation process with Republic Services, staff presented the potential terms of the new contract, which focused on maintaining customer satisfaction and service reliability. The council considered optional additions, such as an annual household hazardous waste drop-off event and a residential street sweeping service. The neighborhood cleanup events, in which residents can set out piles of bulky items for pick up, were recommended to reduce from three per year to two, along with a reduction in the pile size from 10 cubic yards to 5 cubic yards. The billing cycle could also be adjusted from bi-monthly to tri-monthly. 

All these adjustments have minimal impact on the monthly rate residents will pay for service, either increasing or decreasing the cost from a few cents to a couple of dollars. 

Republic Services is committed to fully staffing their customer service department with locals in the Sacramento region, with the proposed contract ensuring at least 50%. Also included are website enhancements, new monitoring cameras on the trucks to ensure proper sorting and a dedicated customer service manager assigned to Citrus Heights.

The average current rate for Citrus Heights residents is $34.20 per month, which staff said is the lowest rate for residential waste collection in the region. The proposed contract includes a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 3.5% and a market adjustment increase of 2.5%, for a total 6% increase to go into effect in January 2028. These adjustments are designed to keep rates aligned with inflation to cover the increased cost of services. An annual CPI adjustment would be capped at 4.25% each year throughout the 10-year contract. 

Depending on the specific options selected by the council, the monthly rates in 2028 would be between $37–$39, which staff said will still be among the lowest in the region. 

During public hearing, multiple residents spoke in favor of renewing the city’s contract with Republic Services, expressing a high level of satisfaction with their services and employees. They said Republic Services is dependable, affordable and a dedicated community partner that invests in the city. 

Some residents spoke in opposition to the proposed contract, advocating for the city to undertake the RFP process to ensure transparency and fair competition. 

When considering service options, the council consensus was to add street sweeping and household hazardous waste drop-off events, switch to tri-monthly billing and reduce the frequency of neighborhood clean-up events but maintain the size allowance. 

When considering whether to approve the new contract, Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton said, “Competition is healthy and it keeps the market honest, I think we can all agree on that. But the thought of competition only creates value when it produces a better outcome.”

Middleton said the city already has quality service at a low cost, and regional comparisons show the new contract will still provide the best value for residents.

“Decisions need to be grounded in data, and we’ve got enough data, I feel, to say that we’ve got the best we can do right here with our current provider,” said Middleton.

Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa agreed that the Republic Services contract should be renewed, since they provide great service with low rates, and they are loved and trusted in the community.

Councilmember Tim Schaefer said he loves Republic Services too, but “I am charged with dispensing the people’s word here, establishing true transparency and public trust. I can’t hire my brother or my friend, because that’s a conflict, that’s a bias that I would have.”

He said hiring a company just because you like them is “cronyism,” and “that doesn’t instill public trust.” Schaefer said the city has had a contract with Republic Services for many years, and it’s time to go through the RFP process to allow competition and ensure the best possible rates.  

Vice Mayor Middleton said Rancho Cordova recently went through a bidding process for their residential waste collection, and she said the starting rates there will be higher than the proposed contract with Republic Services.

“We know we can trust Republic because they’ve been doing the job diligently,” said Middleton. She added that the community has overwhelmingly shown they support staying with Republic Services.  

Schaefer made a motion to issue an RFP, which was seconded by Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff. The motion failed, with Councilmember Kelsey Nelson, Councilmember Karpinski-Costa and Vice Mayor Middleton dissenting.  

Middleton moved to adopt the agreement with Republic Services, which was seconded by Karpinski-Costa. The motion was approved 3-2, with Schaefer and Lopez-Taff dissenting.  

Many in the audience applauded the decision. A public hearing to finalize rates will be held in 2027, and the contract will go into effect in 2028. 

The next meeting of the Citrus Heights City Council is scheduled for March 11.