Palm Coast government drew just two bids from garbage haulers, one of them Waste Pro, as it considers whether to replace Waste Pro or stick with the hauler that’s provided trash service in the city since 2007.
According to the bid documents, both bids would result in a significant price increase if current twice-a-week service were maintained: a 30 percent increase if Waste Pro wins the contract for another five years, and a 66 percent increase if the city council were to find reason to opt for the bidder challenging Waste Pro: FCC Environmental Services.
The city has been frustrated with the checkered quality of Waste Pro’s service, on and off, over the years, but the displeasure may not be so surmountable that the city would opt for a much more expensive company, especially as two-thirds of the city’s residents responding to a survey about garbage service earlier this year termed themselves satisfied.
Waste Pro’s recurring difficulties and significant fines by the city for poor service–nearly $14,000 in May, when the city declared the company in breach of contract, $4,000 in June and more than $10,000 in July–has little to do with the search. Waste Pro’s five-year contract is up in 2022. But the city issued a request for proposal, as it did five years ago, when it also drew only one other contender (Advanced Disposal Services of Jacksonville) and 10 years ago, when it drew three contenders (Advanced Disposal, Waste Management, and Texas-based WCA Waste Corp.) Waste Pro won out each time.
None of the previous bidders tried this time around. The contender is FCC Environmental Services, a relative newcomer to the American garbage scene.
The bid request asked companies to submit prices under four “scenarios,” or options, to pick up what amounts to more than 35 million tons of garbage produced by Palm Coast residents and businesses every year, close to 5,000 tons of recycling and more than 5,000 tons of yard waste. The Palm Coast City Council wanted to examine what price companies would quote if they offered only once-a-week service, as opposed to twice a week, as now. And they wanted to know the price difference between service where residents provide their own garbage cans as opposed to the hauler providing the can.
In each of the four options, Waste Pro quoted the lower price. (See the table below.)
Current service means twice-a-week garbage pick-up from cans provided by the resident, not the company, once-a-week recycling and once-a-week yard-waste pick-up. That monthly cost today, in effect since 2017, is $20.36. Waste Pro’s new price would be $26.46, or $6.11 a month more, for an annual cost of $317.52 (compared to $244.32 today.)
FCC Environmental for that service quoted a monthly cost of $33.84, or $13.48 more than the current price, and $7.38 a month more than the new price Waste Pro quoted.
If the city were to go with the same plan but opt for garbage cans provided by the haulers, the prices almost equalize: Waste Pro is quoting a monthly price of $32.23, a 58 percent increase from what it’s charging today, while FCC Environmental is quoting $33.43, or $1.20 more than Waste Pro, and a 64 percent increase over current rates. FCC’s price for company-provided cans is lower than for service under resident-provided cans. But that’s not an oddity. It reflects cost-savings through automation. Company=provided cans means a hauler may not need to have two employees in a truck. In Bunnell and Flagler Beach, for example, the cities provide service themselves, with the driver of the garbage truck using automated hydraulic arms that hook into the city-provided cans and lob their contents into the truck.
The council was also interested in exploring once-a-week garbage pick-up, which many counties and cities have adopted. Under that scenario, Waste Pro would still charge more than it does now, raising the monthly cost 14 percent to $23.22. FCC Environmental’s price would be $25.54, a 25 percent increase over current costs. If the companies were to provide their own cans, the cost again is nearly equal: $27.14 for Waste Pro, $27.98 for FCC Environmental. But once-a-week service would require residents to have larger trash bins, an option that may not be as attractive in a city where almost 30 percent of residents are over 65.
The service would of course still include bulky and “white goods” (or large appliances) collection, regardless of “scenario.” The council considered doing away with recycling but that discussion didn’t go very far, even though a growing number of residents see recycling more cynically: much of recycled materials, like glass and newsprint, is no longer profitable for haulers to recycle, now that markets like China no longer accept the stuff. Residents have raised doubts about whether their recyclables are getting recycled or ending up in trash piles. Waste Pro has assured the city that recycling continues. Flagler Beach, on the other hand, quit recycling all but aluminum and cardboard products.
FCC in its bid is pledging to hire locally. “FCC will prioritize its hiring efforts with staff from the previous hauler, as well as staff that lives in the City of Palm Coast & Flagler County,” it states. All the company’s trucks will be assigned exclusively to Palm Coast and operate on compressed natural gas.
FCC has clearly studied its competition and taken note of the many fines that the city has levied on Waste Pro (what’s called “liquidated damages”). FCC addressed that, too: “FCC has only been assessed liquidated damages related to solid waste services involving $10,000 (in one month) or more. It was in February 2016 ($15,100) and in March 2016 ($13,200) during the transition of Orange County Contract where customers changed from twice a week manual collection to once a week automated collection.”
In the last few months the company won an eight-year contract to cover a large portion of Hillsborough County in June. It won a 10-year contract in Wellington City in May, taking over from Waste Management. In Florida the company also has been serving Orange County (since 2016), Polk County (since 2017), Palm Beach County (since 2019), Volusia County (since 2020), and the city of Edgewood (started this year). Trash pick-ups in Orange, Polk and Volusia are once a week, twice a week in Palm Beach and Edgewood.
FCC that began in 1911 in Barcelona, with a garbage-hauling contract it’s kept since in that city. The company was known by a different name: Fomento de Costrucciones y Contratas. It became FCC Environmental in Europe (under its umbrella company, FCC Group). It did not start operating in the United States until 2014, when, according to Waste Today, it won a contract for biosolid waste collection in Houston, which became the company’s American headquarters. (The company’s bid papers state it started operating in the United States in 2008.) Its American customer base has since grown to 8.5 million.
Aside from serving Palm Coast, Waste Pro also serves Flagler County residents in the unincorporated part of the county, its contract with the county mirroring, or piggy-backing, that of the Palm Coast. The company is heavily invested in its Bunnell depot, and occasional difficulties aside, still maintains a loyal base of support. The city’s evaluation team has yet to rate the two bids. That’s due on Friday. The council will then consider the evaluations, which are not binding on council members, but carry significant weight. The contract with Waste Pro expires on Jan. 27.
The complete bid submissions:
Garbage Bids, 2021
| Scenarios: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCC Environmental | ||||
| Waste Pro |
The four scenarios explained:
• A.1 1x week Garbage in Resident Provided Cans, Every Other Week Recycling in bins, 1x per week Yard
Waste collection, 1x per month Bulky Items and Call Ahead 1x per month White Goods (i.e. major appliances).
• A.2 2x week Garbage in Resident Provided Cans, 1x week Recycling in bins, 1x per week Yard
Waste collection, 1x per week Bulky Items and Call Ahead 1x per week White Goods.
• B.1 1x week Garbage in City-Contractor Provided Cart, Every Other Week Recycling in City-Contractor
provided cart, 1x per week Yard Waste collection, 1x per month Bulky Items and Call Ahead 1x
per month White Goods.
• B.2 2x week Garbage in City-Contractor Provided Cart, 1x week Recycling in City-Contractor
provided Cart, 1x per week Yard Waste collection, 1x per week Bulky Items and Call Ahead 1x
per week White Goods.
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David Schaefer says
What a bunch of HORSE MANURE………
PB says
A2 Wastepro! I have lived in many cities and they are the “Best bang for the buck” So what if a truck breaks down and they are a day late. They bust their ass with a job I would not want. Yes sometimes I need to pick a little bit of paper they drop. I do not get enough exercise anyway. Yes sometimes I pick up my neighbors who are to old to do it.
My Social Security is going up a little but I don’t need anyones help in spending it!!!!
Former garbage slinger says
As a former trash slinger waste pro is garbage. They are sloppy, they are negligent (2 guys killed in a 5 year span due to bad drivers) and they are over priced for sub par service. Palm coast should follow FLAGLER beaches decades long practice and Bunnells new practice and use city trucks and employees
Motherworry says
Gotta agree! One thing Flagler Beach does well is pick up the trash. They are prompt friendly and get it done.
AJRin says
I agree! I have never had a problem with pick up or the men who work on the trucks. They are wonderful. So I’m curious, is it because all of the people who have moved here causes more strain on the system? That’s my guess. Don’t come here people! We’re closed!! You’re ruining our nirvana!
Karen says
I totally agree
HayRide says
why have the second day pick up, all the trucks do is wiz through the neighborhoods, because nobody puts it out for the second except for the elderly who happen to put out the bins every day whether it has something in it or not. you should see the guys shake their heads when looking into my neighbors and there’s only a single trash bag in the bin.
And of course, the crew is not going to tell the office, because they would not want to miss a day’s work.
Former trash slinger says
Not how trash pick up works at all but ok. If theres 2 days of pick up theres 2 days of pick up it doesn’t matter if theres something out or not. No one at the office cares and it wont cause them to lose a days work especially in palm coast where there are tens if not hundreds of people not getting picked up do to lack of manpower
John McDonnell says
I live in Plantation Bay ( Flagler County) and would be comfortable with once a week garbage pickup. We have had numerous issues with Waste Pro in regards to late or, often, next day pickup over the last couple of years.
PB says
John can I ask what is the big deal if they are a day late? They go from 6am till who knows what time? If a truck breaks how many spares should they have?
tulip says
We NEED twice a week garbage pickup! You must be fortunate enough not to have your garbage and trash get smelly, especially in the warm months. If we get put back to once a week garbage, people will start to keep the barrel(s) outside 24/7 which will smell up the neighborhood. Even if we have a 30% increase that’s about $6.00 a month more. Still a good deal for having 2 trash pick ups, 1 recycle and 1 yard waste a week If the price went to $26.00 a month that’s still only $6.50 a week, or approximately 1.50 a week more than the present rate.
Gina says
Tulip: Totally agree with you I guess Plantation Bay thinks their s**t don’t stink. If they can afford to live there $1.50 increase a week is nothing.
Steve Naso says
Time to extend the bidding. Invite others to participate. Certainly, the two bidders can do a better job to make their bids more affordble and efficient.
DennisC Rathsam says
Waste Pro has a spy in city hall. It sure is funny that their always just a little less. Personally Im sick of calling about a missed pick up, garbage left all over the street, branches missed, too many branches…This company is the worst, out of everywhere Ive lived. Yes its a bad job…but it is what it is their garbagemen. Nobodys holding a gun to their head to stay there, so they must enjoy it. Its time for another hauler…Waste Pro is done! Lets think out of the box, 1 truck, one driver, new special cans, made for this purpose, cuts time and manpower. Now if the city used tax money for all these new homes being built here Palm Coast, they could keep it in house. Buy three trucks , grab 3 city workers deemed reponsible and problem solved. WITHOUT WASTE PRO!
Harv says
That’s just great. We get a 5.9 % raise in Social Security and now the great city of Palm Coast wants to raise trash pick up 30%. What a fantastic way to help the elderly living on a fixed income. Thank you city fathers ! I remember you at election time
mark101 says
Well that’s what you get when you try and piss off the waste collection businesses, as these “waste companies” are all pretty closed nit. You screw one, the other will pick up the pieces and it will cost you more than you were paying.
tulip says
In regards to the size of the barrels, we should be allowed to have our own. The ones that are provided are huge and have to be place exactly right at the curb in order for the truck to latch onto it. Most senior citizens can’t handle that size due to physical problems of all kinds and, again, the garbage would be sitting around for a week smelling up the garage, at which the smell would infiltrate back into the house.
Recycle pickup every other week would be okay, as that stuff is “clean”.
Former garbage slinger says
With the amount of taxes and utilities collected by palm coast they have more then enough money to start their own sanitation department and buy their own trucks. Utilize was pro until they have it down pay and phase them out. The city of flagler beach has been doing it for decades and have one of the best sanitation crews kn the county. Bunnell recently switched to using a city sanitation department and the service has been doing great. This would actually cut the cost to taxpayers and the city jf they put a competent person in charge. When I worked for the city of FLAGLER we didn’t leave trash needs n the ground or cans in the driveway. We actually cared about our job and our city…
Former garbage slinger says
With proper recycle enforcement and utilizing scrap appliances properly the city could actually make money on certain items that they normally would have to pay to have picked up. Just look at the city of flagler beaches sanitation department’s budget and spending between 2012 and 2015. The supervisor at the time had addressed such issues and the department budget did well.in kne quarter it actually had more money in the budget towards the end of the quarter. He mandated recycling, cutting the dump fees more then half. Then he started a metal scrap recycle program sending all scrapped appliances to John’s junkyard instead of the landfill. Which not only cut down thousands of tons in dump fees being paid out but actually brought money back into the city’s sanitation department saving them up to a million dollars or more a year and earning the department hundreds of thousands of dollars
palmcoaster says
Waste Pro does a very good job! We do not need any 66% increases just to change haulers as Waste Pro is fine…If can be done with a once a week garbage, yard waste, recyclables pick up is okay by us…Do not change Waste Pro do not fix what ain’t broke. A small increase in the garbage rate is okay given inflation. In the survey most residents want to keep Waste Pro…lets hear us, please.
Mark Peterson says
Everyone on City Council seems to love yelling at each other and saying how much of a bad*** they are but nothing can be said or done about the increased for horrible service?
Get it together people! Give the residents an opt-out option. Those who do take their own trash and recycling to the Bunnell yard. Don’t charge us at all. Remember? We the People etc. piece of paper?
. You are all so damn pathetic. And what is worse, YOU KNEW it was coming up!
The dude says
Last two times I’ve tried to go to the Bunnell landfill, the scales have been closed to the public.
Has that changed?
uncursed says
Once a week garbage collection would be the way to go . The recycle can be eliminated as there is no such thing in Palm Coast . The recycle truck is the same as the garbage truck . Everything gets squished together . How in the world can anyone separate anything when they unload ? With once a week collection there would be no need of a big hike !!!
Kat S. says
Option A1 with waste pro would be very reasonable. We do not need trash trucks coming by our house 4 times a week. It is just wasteful and unnecessary. It is a waste of man power and fuel. Once a week for trash, every other week for recycle will work for the majority of customers.
Jimbo99 says
Just my perception, the garbage rate is going to increase, the bigger issue isn’t whether any give residence provides their own garbage can or not, but that the additional new construction & growth will still require 2 day a week service for more people & garbage. Put into perspective $ 6.10 increase $ 20.36 to $ 26.46 per month on a 4 or even 5 week month with a 2x weekly pickup schedule is 8-10 pickups per month. This works out to a 76.25 cents increase for each pickup in a 4 week month, 61 cents in a 5 week month. Since they’re hell bent on adding apartment complexes & duplexes/single dwelling homes like they for hundreds/thousands more people consuming and creating increased garbage tonnage, look at some of your neighbors garbage at the corner every 2 days, Some are higher utilizers of the garbage service, that’s the existing load and there’s really no way of predicting what the new relocations to the apartments & houses brings for increased garbage tonnage.
Perhaps a lower cost solution ? Create a Centralized garbage dumpster location and that way residents can load their car up to drop the garbage off once or twice a week ? Any neighborhood is always going to have those that are too lazy to properly bag their garbage. If you’ve ever had to pick up your neighbor’s garbage, those nasty paper plates & foil of uneaten food that somehow end up out in the middle of the street in front of your home from collection up & down the street. Here’s an example of a rural collection point that would make it so that the garbage trucks aren’t driving every street for coverage, starting & stopping at every home on the street. Potential problem with those ? Eventually the centralized location becomes an eyesore and nasty/filthy for those that don’t properly bag their garbage.
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/rural-garbage-collection-strategies
Farley Fitzpatrick says
FLF says-
Go A.2 Wastepro,
I keep my cans in the garage until pick up day. Try letting your garbage sit for 7 days in the summertime and think about how much money you saved going to pick up one day a week, your nose will tell you otherwise…The price increase to maintain the same service is NOTHING. $6.11 really? Let’s see, that’s 2 gallons of gas in the car, 1 six pack of beer, 1 pack of cigarettes, or 3 Bell peppers at Publix… Focus on bigger fish to fry in this world…
Dennis says
With all the fine leveler by the city, because they could get help, I would not even bid on this city contract. Let the city do it themselves.
Dudley says
This is the first I have read about the situation so some of my suggestions may not relavent at this stage. It seems to me the bid for services was poorly handled from the start. We only received two responses and those two companies that have worked with the county before. The County cannot just post a bid and hope for a strong response in a competitive field like this. The county should be proactive with advertising and being open flexable solutions. With only two responses neither of which offers an effective solution and are requesting eccessive prices. MShould be prove enough the County needs to post and publicize the bid. I offer the following:
1. The County to relist the bid. This time directly solicit evdry possible provider through direct notices. A positive/ attractive sounfing bid notice should state Flagler county is seeking trash services and is open to flexable creative solutions and would appreciate responses from every company that could potentially provide services and solutions. Certainly that should bring more competition to the table. Then perhaps prices and options would improve.
2. I moved from a County that had once a week pick up. We would have to buy the large hydraulic lift trash cans. The smaller cans at retail stores are too small to once a week trash. If the provider must empty 2 or 3 cans per home you can bet they will raise prices. Having once a week pick up with non hydrualic cans simply will not work for the citicen or the company.
3. Should the County agree to large standardized hydrualic lift cans the bid should be cheaper. In most cases the driver or assistant would not need to leave the truck. The companies can service the routes faster and with fewer trucks. Thus this is a significant economic advantage for the provider
4. The problem is the impact cost of buying the cans. The county can buy in large numbers which will reduce the individual price. But the is a big advantage for the service provider. They should put something towards lowering the impact on citizens. Perhaps six months or a year of reduced service or prices. Or providing a discount or monetary incentive to thr county.
PC Elites says
In a City that can afford to make all their workers park their commercial vehicles in high priced storage facilities, this is nothing. You could quadruple garbage service and this town wouldn’t miss a beat. All the loyalists would fall in line with their wallets out.
Blind says
Yesterday they drove up my street at 6:15 am…. Drove right by my trash can and recycle bin. This is the 3rd time. Now I’m stuck with sticky trash for two more days. SCREW their increase in price !!!!
Bat says
Hauler provided cans would significantly cut down on garbage that gets blown out or picked out of cans by animals. Blown away lids would also no longer happen. Once a week pickup is all that is needed with those cans too. If you’re too old and feeble to wheel a garbage can to the curb then ask someone for help. Who would say no to anyone asking for something so simple?
Johnny says
Unbelievable. Yes if it is increasing then we should get an extra day of recyle pickup. Sounds like City of PC is a poor debators on fighting for taxpayers rights and cost of services.
Skibum says
I hope all of these people making comments on what they prefer took the time to fill out the survey that Palm Coast provided to city residents not long ago, seeking comments about what type of garbage service we wanted. I, for one, submitted the survey to the city. I never had twice a week garbage pickup before moving from the west coast to Florida, and although I wondered why we have it here initially, I do like it and think it is needed due to our very warm and humid climate in the summer. There have been occasional times when Waste Pro has missed me for a pickup, but that has been rare. I don’t know what all the fuss is… I think their service has been satisfactory for the past 8 years that I have lived in this city, and recommend that the city council vote to award Waste Pro another contract for twice a week service.
thomas oelsner says
I am curious as to how much of the cost increase will go to the people who actually need it, the workers, and not to corporate profits or shareholders.
Terry Melton says
Yup, just got my new, raised water, sewer, storm water & garbage bill for the last month. Big increase, & now a proposed garbage increase. This is an additional cost on top of an increase in property taxes. Wow, what a great job the new city council is doing. Those of us on fixed incomes are already struggling: gasoline & groceries. Good job, guys
Montecristo says
Once again bad management with the City handling the so called RFP.
The City has nobody with the solid waste management experience to bring in other bidders.
1)Definitely never ever go to once a week service. The smell, flies and roaches will be horrible. (The City put out a questionnaire it was rejected to go once a week.)
2) Go automated like Bunnell with a contractor supplied garbage cart. We will have less trash blowing around if the proper garbage cans are used.
3) Did the City of Palm Coast Solid Waste Director check to see who are driving the Waste Pro trucks, are the drivers even from her are the truck even from here. I see markers with out of the area phone numbers on them.
OH THAT’S RIGHT WE DON’T HAVE AN EXPERIENCED SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR, AND NOBODY IS CHECKING ANYTHING! Waste Pro has brought in out of town drivers to get back in good graces. CHECK THOSE CONTRACT AREAS AND SEE HOW BAD THE SERVICES ARE THERE BECAUSE Waste Pro has taken trucks and drivers from them.
Some of the GPS are set in the trucks for other areas and can’t help the driver here. This is fu#@$-ed up.
SO LET’S JUST GIVE THE CONTRACT TO THE SAME CONTRACTOR AND GET BAD SERVICES FOR MORE MONEY!
The City has made the wrong rookie mistakes while bidding this contract out.
Just sign the contract and give it to Wastepro don’t make fools of your residents with your inexperienced City Managers making matters worse.
Montecristo
can'tfoolme says
Once/week garbage, once/every two weeks recycle, and once/every two weeks for yard waste should work for most residents. Recycle should have no odor, yard work could be coordinated somewhat near the pickup date, and if you have more garbage than can be picked up weekly, you are buying and wasting too much! Remember what your mother told you….”clean your plate because the children are starving in Europe” and “waste not, want not”. We have become a wasteful, throw-away society.
Old Guy says
I vote for city trucks, city employees, and city provided hydraulic lift bins. Also reduce the types of items or eliminate recycling altogether. Where my son lives they have 3 city provided hydraulic lift bins color coded for household trash, recycle, and yard waste. It seems to work well with no leftovers, bin lids, or bins blowing around the street after the truck rolls through.
Old Guy says
Bring it in house with the hydraulic trucks and city provided bins.
Damien says
Im moving to Palatka, but will continue to work here Im just not paying $2,000/month to live here.
Was Nice but Im over it
Damien Esmond says
Anyone harboring some pipe dream that your recycle bin get to become some new product is smoking drugs. Just throw everything in the trash, The recycling thing financially is not sustainable to the hauler! Bam. Wake up call!!! Nobody is taking your discarded items and making anything new with them on your monthly utility bill. Will Someone Prove me wrong?
Denali says
Let’s get this down to real numbers. On our small cul-de-sac here in PC five houses can be picked up in less than five minutes, I have timed them. Most of the time here is spent turning the truck around. Along the straight streets pick up times are even faster, appears to be about 30 seconds each. Same goes for recycling. Yard waste is a bit slower but it is also less intense so for the sake of argument let’s call it the same.
So an average of two minutes per house per week. At 4.3 weeks per month that is 8.6 minutes per month or roughly $2.36 per minute of service. $142 per hour for a truck and 2 – 3 workers per truck. If for some reason things go really bad on a given day and the service time rises to three minutes per house, that hourly rate drops to $94.70 per hour. And this is only looking at the pick up times and does not include the travel time between the Volusia office/yard, the city of Palm Coast and the landfill which would only serve to lessen that hourly rate. If the crew is being paid $20 per hour and assuming a 100% labor burden that leaves $62 per hour to cover the truck, insurance, taxes, tipping fees and fuel.
While I hate to pay any additional fees, I have to admit that the cost of our trash, recycling and yard waste pick up if pretty reasonable. A whole lot better than the $100 per month being charged at our northern state farm property for one pick up per week.
C’mon w says
I’ll take twice a week pickup. I can stop recycling and throw my yard watste in a vacant lot