• The City’s Public Works Solid Waste and Operations programs and services rely on contracts with this and multiple other vendors, which are deemed essential in providing disposal options and supporting the City’s climate and diversion goals. These contracts also enable the City to deliver cleanup programs to neighborhoods and residents, such as the fall leaves coupons. Therefore, maintaining a contract with this vendor assures the City and community continue to have a convenient and accessible local drop off site.
• The proposed amendment to the contract would increase the dollar amount under the contract and extend the contract end date.
• Initial estimates for this vendor contract spending limit were based on prior years projections for the volume of material and estimates for public participation, because it’s not known or pre-determined where the community will opt to take their yard debris and leaves to redeem coupons provided by the City’s Solid Waste program.
• Staff anticipate exceeding the existing limit of $350,000 with McFarlane’s Bark Inc. in the coming weeks and request City Council approval to amend the contract to a new limit of $750,000.
• The City’s yard debris and leaves receiving contract with this vendor is set to expire on May 31, 2024, with the option for a one-year extension. Staff also propose extending the contract by one year with the end date extended to May 31, 2025, to allow for continued services from McFarlane’s Bark Inc.
• Diverting organic material from the landfill for composting helps moderate disposal costs and provide for a valuable feedstock. This creates beneficial compost for yards and gardens and aligns with Council’s Climate Action Framework and the statewide Organics Management Law.

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Since 2002, the City has maintained contracts with multiple local processors of yard debris to provide essential services for the neighborhood and resident cleanup programs and for regular city maintenance and operations. Under the contracts, local facilities accept clean yard debris, leaves, woody debris and other organic materials collected at neighborhood cleanup events. This is done through coupon programs funded by the City’s Solid Waste program or in part by Clark County Public Works, and by city operations crews as a regular part of maintaining parks, medians and rights of ways for diverting from the landfill and to be turned into compost.

The City’s Spring Yard Debris coupons, Fall Neighborhood Leaf Box program, and Saturday Cleanup and Chipper events offered to all City residents and City neighborhood associations are effective in collecting segregated organic materials. This diverts material from landfill disposal in a cost-effective manner, while also managing seasonal leaves that can burden the surface water system. In addition, City Solid Waste manages the regional Fall Leaves Coupon program that benefits both city and county residents in disposing of seasonal leafy debris at local yard debris disposal sites.

The current contract with McFarlane’s Bark has a contractual spending limit of $350,000. This was based on reasonable estimates at the time of entering into the contract. Because the value of this contract is driven by users, comprised mostly of residents of Vancouver, Clark County and some City operations crews, actual expenditures will vary. Users typically dispose of their leaves and debris based on the proximity to their residence.  Also, the contract amount is dependent upon the volume of processed leaves and debris delivered by the generator.

Over the past three (3) years, expenditures for this contract have been approximately $350,000. Rates for McFarlane’s Bark remain within an acceptable price range per material type and per unit (per cubic yard). Based upon the above history and projections for the remaining allowable contract timeframe, including factoring the extension through May 31, 2025, and for potential / allowable increases in disposal cost and/or increases volumes of material delivered to the vendor, staff estimate raising the contract limit to $750,000 will suffice for the remaining term of the contract, as extended.

Therefore, City staff recommends amending the current contract with McFarlane’s Bark at set forth above.

1. Maintaining the contract with this existing vendor provides continuity for efficient and convenient, local drop off option for residents and city crews.
2. The availability of multiple sites helps reduce congestion that would result from offering fewer vendors and may reduce travel time and distance if there were fewer available vendors.