- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Clearlake City Council gives approval to Clearlake Waste Solutions sale
Clearlake Waste Solutions has been Clearlake’s franchise hauler since 2011 and now provides universal garbage and recycling collection.
City Manager Alan Flora said that a few weeks ago Bruce McCracken, Clearlake Waste Solutions’ vice president, and another company representative met with him to let them know they were in the process of selling the company to Waste Connections Inc.
Waste Connections is reported to have a presence in 40 states and six Canadian provinces. The staff report said it serves about 25 communities throughout California. It has headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas and Ontario, Canada.
On Wednesday, Waste Connections released its second quarter results, reporting revenue totaling $1.534 billion. Revenue for all of 2021 is estimated at approximately $5.975 billion.
The franchise agreement between Clearlake Waste Solutions and the city requires the council to approve a company sale under certain conditions, Flora said.
Flora said he has respect for McCracken and his team. “They do an excellent job and they’re always a very willing partner in anything the city requests of them.”
He said the fact that Waste Connections isn’t planning to change the company’s name or operations gives him reassurance, as has the fact that they have entered into an agreement with McCracken to have him continue to lead the company locally.
“This has been something that’s been evolving for a couple of years now,” McCracken told the council.
He said Clearlake Waste Solutions took the sale action based on a number of factors, including the rising cost of doing business and regulatory changes. As a result, they felt that a company with more resources than Clearlake Waste Solutions could benefit the employees and jurisdictions they serve.
McCracken said Waste Connections is a true fit and matches Clearlake Waste Solutions’ culture. “If it wasn’t Waste Connections, I would not have stayed,” he said.
He added, “For me it’s kind of exciting. It’s a different chapter in a book that I started reading 40 years ago.”
McCracken, who’s been working in the Clearlake area since 1988, said he’s looking forward to what’s ahead, including developments involving electric trucks and food waste.
Sue VanDelinder of Waste Connections also was on hand to speak to the council about the transfer of ownership.
“You shouldn’t see any change. If anything, the residents here in Clearlake will have maybe a different opportunity to bill pay online if they choose to or something like that,” she said, adding the company also is very philanthropic.
She said her job is to make sure McCracken has the tools he needs to do the job.
During the discussion, Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she wanted the company to make sure that all residences with accounts have the proper garbage cans and Russ Cremer, noting that the company sweeps Olympic and Lakeshore drives once a month, suggested sweeping it more often. McCracken said they were willing to do those things.
Councilman David Claffey asked about a planned facility expansion and if it would move forward.
McCracken said yes, that they broke ground in January to expand their services. The new processing facility will eventually allow for putting things that formerly went in the trash — like pizza boxes — into the green waste bin.
Claffey also asked them to put the rates on the company website.
Cremer moved to approve the sale, with the council voting 5-0.
Council welcomes new finance director, gets reports, approves grant applications
In other business on Thursday, the city’s new finance director, Kelcey Young, introduced herself during the meeting’s public comment portion and thanked the council for bringing her on board.
“I’m very excited to be here,” she said.
The council voted in June to hire Young, who returned to her native California from Texas, where she was working for the city of Dallas.
Before working in Dallas, Young said she worked in San Antonio. She also has worked in Seattle.
“I am a California girl at heart,” she said, explaining she went to high school in San Diego and attended college at Humboldt State.
She has a background in procurement, contract management, budgeting and process improvement.
Young has two children and two dogs. They’ve been here a week. “Clearlake has already stolen our heart.”
Over the past year, Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White filled the finance director role while recruitment took place.
Also on Thursday, Mayor Dirk Slooten presented a proclamation promoting tolerance, respect, equity and inclusion to county Supervisor Moke Simon and the council received a staff update on the progress of the city’s 2021 Chip Seal Project.
The council also approved joining the Joint Powers Authority of the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority and heard updates from Code Enforcement and the owner of properties at 14541 and 14525 Lakeshore Drive.
Council members also rejected four bids for the Sulphur Fire Roadway Disaster Repair Project, which staff asked that they do due to irregularities in the bids. The project will be put out for new bids on Friday, with a Sept. 2 deadline.
Chief White presented to the council a request to prepare and submit two program income only applications for $420,000 through the California Housing and Community Development CDBG Program. White said the city previously took input on the proposal on July 21.
He said $155,000 would be used for upgrades at the senior center, including resurfacing and improving the parking lot, landscaping, irrigation installation and outdoor activity areas.
White said $265,000 will be used for improvements at Redbud Park, including a complete rehabilitation of the bathrooms along with auto locking doors, possible repairs and painting for the wooden pier, and additional lighting and cameras. Fixes to the gazebo also are being considered.
Other business items approved by the council on Thursday included a resolution certifying the appointment of David Deakins as Building Inspector II and the first reading of Ordinance No. 256-2021, an amendment to Chapter 17 of the Clearlake Municipal Code repealing and replacing floodplain management regulations.
The council met in closed session before the regular meeting to discuss lawsuits against the county treasurer-tax collector and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., and to hold negotiations with Burbank Housing Corp. for property at 6885 Old Highway 53. There was no reportable action out of the closed session.
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