The City of Hawaiian Gardens has engaged MuniEnvironmental for a new contract to conduct a solicitation of proposals from qualified Solid Waste Service providers. The City’s current franchise agreement, which dates back to 1993, requires updates to comply with modern regulatory and industry requirements.

“As municipalities through California attempt to meet clean air and recycling requirements,” says MuniEnvironmental CEO and Principal Consultant Jeff Duhamel. “they often find the need to transition to a new and/or updated franchise agreement.”

To successfully transition from the current franchise to a new and updated franchise system, MuniEnvironmental and Hawaiian Gardens will partner on a six-step plan, beginning with determining existing compliance levels and current program effectiveness and ensuring that the current hauler has met all of its financial obligations to the City. In order to provide prospective bidders with a comprehensive, accurate picture of conditions and requirements, MuniEnvironmental will conduct a compliance review to quantify essential information such as the numbers and types of containers in service and participation in diversion programs along with a financial audit to confirm the City’s receipt of all revenue due under the agreement.

By identifying and collaborating with a subcommittee or oversight group to develop program options and agreement components, MuniEnvironmental will ensure its ability to meet local needs and maximize value for the community. Key stakeholder workshops will include the local chamber of commerce in addition to multi-family property owners and single-family homeowners.

“The City of Hawaiian Gardens has a great interest in engaging its residents,” says Duhamel. “MuniEnvironmental looks forward to facilitating discussions on program options and requirements and cooperating with the City’s key stakeholders.”

After the consultants and community partners have determined program parameters, MuniEnvironmental will prepare and draft a services agreement to which prospective Solid Waste Service providers may respond. That agreement and scope of services will address a number of specific concerns and needs ranging from bulky item services to e-waste collection to CalRecycle reporting. Respondents will be subjected to a proposal process that will evaluate candidates based on experience and qualifications, ability to execute on the program and cost.

Following the final selection process, MuniEnvironmental will support Hawaiian Gardens staff in both negotiating a new agreement and presenting the recommendation to approve the selected provider.

Incorporated in 1964, the City of Hawaiian Gardens is a full-service, general-law city that provides police and fire services, street maintenance and repair, building and engineering, planning and parks and recreational activities for its approximately 14,400 residents. Hawaiian Gardens is located centrally to the 605, 5 and 91 Freeways in the industrial heart of the Los Angeles metropolitan area; it is part of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. The City’s Mission Statement, adopted to create a strong relationship between residents, businesses, employees and elected officials and endorsed by the Mayor and City Council, states, “…our work begins and ends with the residents and the businesses of Hawaiian Gardens, California, and is measured by how well we serve them.”

With proven expertise in the Solid Waste, Recycling and Stormwater Industries, the experienced professional staff of MuniEnvironmental provides consulting services to municipalities, governmental agencies and certain private sector businesses such as nonprofit organizations and associations, universities, hospitals and campus-style facilities attempting to implement mandated regulatory requirements while striving to preserve their leadership and administrative role with their contract service providers and the business community. MuniEnvironmental has helped municipal clients including the Cities of Bellflower, Industry, Irvine, Lomita, Paramount and Santa Fe Springs—and now, Hawaiian Gardens—achieve recycling goals, reduce disposal costs, update ordinances and manage complicated franchise agreements.