HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Solid Waste Selection Review_06/13/2017 MINUTES
VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA
SOLID WASTE 8� RECYCLING
COLLECTION SERVICES ,; June 13, 2017
SELECTION COMMITTEE �` -"
PRESENTATION
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 1:09 PM by Village Attorney Keith Davis. A roll call
was taken by Attorney Davis. Present were: Mr. Doug Chambers, Deputy Public Works
Director; Chief Joel Medina, Village Fire Chief; Mr. Chris Quirk, Finance Director.
PRESENTATIONS
1. Invitation to Negotiate Proposal Presentations
• 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. Waste Pro
• 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Advanced Disposal
• 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Waste Management
Attorney Davis thanked Ms. Tiffany Thomas, from the Palm Beach County Inspector
General's Office, for coming to observe the meeting. He briefly explained the ranking
process and invited the first presenter to begin.
Mr. Tim Bowers, Municipal Marketing Manager for Waste Pro introduced himself and
revealed that the company's regional headquarters were located in Longwood, Florida, just
outside of Orlando. He explained that Waste Pro was not a huge corporation but they were
not small either, as they currently serviced 235 municipal contracts throughout nine states.
The local West Palm Beach region would service the Village of Tequesta. Mr. Bowers
indicated that his transition team would ensure that the Village and its residents
experienced a seamless and easy change-over, with open communication.
Waste Pro planned to hold a job fair in Tequesta and would give Village residents the first
opportunity on any positions available locally. Drivers were thoroughly pre-screened and
were given "new hire" training and practice routes. Customer service was important to
Waste Pro and they would provide a web based software to enable the Village and its
residents a timely response to any questions or concerns. In addition, they would provide
software training for Village employees. It was revealed that there was also an app being
developed. Mr. Bowers informed the committee that there would be nine to twelve
employees needed for the Village, and that the hiring process would begin approximately
60 days prior to the start date. Waste Pro also had a "no cell phone" policy for drivers,
which incorporated a camera monitoring system. The Village would receive new trucks as
part of their fleet and they would be housed in West Palm Beach. Complaints within the
West Palm Beach market were minimal and normally revolved around debris being left
behind. Mr. Bowers indicated that the information that was requested from the Village was
incomplete and unsatisfactory.
Minutes—Solid Waste Selection Meeting 6/13/17
Page 2
Ms. Kelly Swisher, a Representative of Government Affairs for Advanced Disposal was
the next to present. She offered some additional information aside from the binder she
had provided the panel. Ms. Swisher felt that Advanced Disposal provided a cleaner,
better service with continual improvement.
She suggested using a cart based trash service as it was more efficient, improved curb
appeal, reduced waste and increased recycling. Benefits would be less litter overFlowing in
trash cans and Ms. Swisher stated that animals going thru trash bags would no longer be
an issue. In addition, the cart based service was able to service more homes per route,
which in turn translated into less trucks on the road, with less fuel consumption and
damage to roadways.
Mr. Juan Romero, General Manager for Advanced Disposal West Palm Beach, explained
that drive-cam technology was used to record movement on the vehicles and determine
driver behavior. In addition, Advanced Disposal used a "fleet tracker" to maintain vehicle
speed, location and activity in a live-dispatch setting. There were backing sensors in
place, which had the ability to stop the vehicle when movement was detected. A
comparison was made to Islamorada, Florida, in relationship to the number of homes and
businesses. Additionally, there was a team in place that would be able to provide a
seamless transition should the Village decide to negotiate with Advanced Disposal. There
would be approximately six employees dedicated to the Village, on the ground, every day.
Managerial and administrative staff would be located in West Palm Beach, however there
would additional staff hired for the Village. Training for new hires would be a ten-day
process culminating with a certification upon successful completion. Finance Director
Chris Quirk asked about the financial health of Advanced Disposal and wondered how the
company was able to sustain itself. Mr. Romero explained that the mission was always to
go public with the company and that their goal was based on a six percent growth model.
He further revealed that Tequesta would have seven new trucks and one spare truck
included in the contract.
Waste Management was the next presenter, with Mr. Jeff Sabin, Government Affairs
Manager, representing the company. He informed the committee of the history of Waste
Management and how they had been founded over 55 years ago. Waste Management
had grown with the community and continued to offer valet and handicapped services free
of charge to Village residents. Employees were trained to handle complaints immediately
on the route and managers were always available to speak with a driver or dispatcher.
GPS tracking systems were installed on all trucks to ensure prompt communication. Mr.
Sabin explained that employees were their most valuable asset and that employee
retention was key. Training and screening for Waste Management was intense and
offered a simulator as part of the process.
Waste Management collected garbage and yard waste finrice a week and collected
recycled waste once a week. It was important for the yard waste to be collected twice a
week to ensure a high level of curb appeal throughout the Village. Other collection
companies normally did not offer this level of service. Converting to a cart system was an
option and could be discussed during the negotiation process. There were 14 employees
for the Village of Tequesta, with several overlapped into other areas.