Colton City Council Faces Backlash Over Bypassing RFQ Process for 10-Year CR&R Contract

In a decision that has left many residents dissatisfied, the Colton City Council voted to extend its contract with CR&R, Inc. for municipal solid waste collection services for another 10 years without undergoing a Request for Proposal (RFQ) process. The move, which bypasses the city’s own municipal code, has sparked criticism from both council members and the public.

During the council meeting, Public Works Director Brian Dickenson presented the proposed Second Amendment to the existing agreement with CR&R. The amendment includes several changes such as replacing 64-gallon residential containers with 96-gallon ones, increasing the number of bulky item pickups, and implementing new performance review standards. “The amendment offers numerous benefits to our community, including a residential rate freeze until 2026 and additional community cleanup events,” said Dickenson.

However, the decision to forgo the RFQ process was met with strong opposition. Councilmember Dr. G voiced his concerns, stating, “I want to state my reasons for not supporting this agreement. It is a business decision, and we should shop around. This contract is worth multi-millions of dollars and multi-years, and it affects every resident and business in our city. Even our own Colton municipal code encourages competitive bidding.”

Dr. G further elaborated, “Going out to bid is simply a good, solid decision to make. There are no negative effects on CR&R. If they are the best bid, then they get the contract, and everyone can feel good that the entire process was done properly, as stated by our own municipal code.”

Councilmember Kelly Chastain, however, defended the decision. “I understand both sides. Some places may require an RFQ, but I think we got a good contract out of this. We ended up in a good position—there won’t be any rate increases until 2026, new trash cans for households, and a host fee that we hadn’t had solidified for many years that can produce revenue.”

Despite the council’s approval, Mayor Frank Navarro voted against the contract extension. “This contract will be in place for about 30 years total after this 10 year contract. There have been a few changes added that may be beneficial to the city, but when someone says, ‘We can’t get anything better?’ How do you know what other companies are willing to give?” he questioned. “What are we doing? Are we really doing the work of the people?”

Councilmember David Torro echoed support for the contract, saying, “I’ve done a lot of homework and looked at a lot of contracts. We were low, and the benefits we are receiving are beneficial. We had the opportunity to tell CR&R what we wanted, and they came back and said they could do everything. I don’t find RFQ processes to be successful in my personal life experiences, and this is a benefit to the residents.” He also stated that with his term ending in November, this contract is one thing he could be proud of achieving for Colton residents. 

Despite the council’s approval, residents voiced their dissatisfaction during the public comment period. June Hughes recounted her recent issues with CR&R’s service. “I had a situation where CR&R did not quite dump all of the greens out of my barrel and forgot to pick up my paper recycling. I called multiple times, and nothing was done. They lack customer service, and this needs to go out for bid.”

Another resident, John Stealineads, expressed confusion and frustration. “I’m a little taken back. Why have we not put this out to bid? Just do it. Ask for a bid and get an idea of what we can ask for. CR&R and the city council have put a lot of time into this. Put it out for bid to get a ballpark figure to see what other companies can offer us.”

The council’s decision to bypass the RFQ process has highlighted a divide between elected officials and the community they serve, raising questions about transparency and adherence to municipal codes. As the new contract with CR&R moves forward, residents remain wary of the impact it may have on their services.