Laserfiche WebLink
Councilmember Peters asked if they would be legally allowed to just request three bids rather than <br />doing an RFP. <br /> <br />City Attorney Knaak noted that requesting bids and doing an RFP are very similar. He said they <br />are always able to go out for bids rather than do an RFP. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht asked about the difference between an RFP and a bid. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman explained that an RFP is when a municipality issues a formal request for <br />proposals that gets posted online and anyone can submit a proposal and all of the results have to <br />be published publicly which causes a lot more scrutiny. He said a bid is easier as they can choose <br />trusted vendors and ask for their best price. <br /> <br />City Attorney Knaak noted that RFPs tend to be for services and bids tend to be for goods. He said <br />the advantage of getting bids is that they have the responsibility of deciding who is the responsible <br />bidder. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht stated that if they decide to just stay with a single contracted hauler then <br />he thinks they need to open it up for bids; however, he is supportive of an open hauler system. <br /> <br />Councilmember Stewart said she would like them to stay with a single hauler and would prefer to <br />go the bid route rather than an RFP so the Council can maintain some control. She added that she <br />also disagrees with the labor agreement suggested by Councilmember Buscher. <br /> <br />Councilmember Riley shared his support for requesting three bids. <br /> <br />Councilmember Olson agreed. <br /> <br />Councilmember Buscher said she does not have a preference for whether they go with an RFP or <br />bids. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman noted that this has been the system for a while and while he likes the freedom <br />that an open hauler system would provide, he thinks the current system is working well and is not <br />as hard on the roads. He said he would like to get three bids. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen asked how long they would like the contracts to be. <br /> <br />Councilmember Stewart suggested another five-year contract since there will be a new <br />requirement come 2030 for organics recycling. <br /> <br />Senior Planner Anderson said they would need this contract to end in 2029 to give Council and <br />Staff time to discuss what they will do in 2030 and beyond. <br /> <br />Councilmember Buscher stated she hopes the current Council will discuss how they would like to <br />approach the organics recycling requirement and not just pass it off to whoever will be on the next <br />Council. <br />City Council Work Session / March 11, 2025 <br />Page 4 of 10 <br /> <br />