220325 1412 Questions regarding the Valley Vista ContractFrom:Frances Marquez
To:Fred Galante
Subject:Questions regarding the Valley Vista Contract
Date:Friday, March 25, 2022 2:12:01 PM
Fred,
Good afternoon! I have received the following questions from residents over the past month. I
would be grateful if you would answer them.
Sincerely,
Frances
1) Was there any possibility that the Valley Vista contact could have been put out to bid?
2) Why was the Valley Vista contract not put out to bid?
3) Is there any language that requires the City of Cypress to go out to bid on all contracts?
4) How much will the trash rate increase this month?
5) Are the residents of Cypress subsidizing the trash service for commercial businesses and
non-profit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club? If not, who is paying for their services?
1. It has been stated that the contract couldn’t be BID OUT, as the current
contract hasn’t expired (It expires in 2024?). When is the window that the
contract could have been bid out?
2. Considering accepted practice is that governmental agencies bid out
any work to be performed, why wasn’t the contract bid out at the
appropriate time? Despite having to address the new organics recycling
program in order to comply with a new state law, it appears that a 32%
rate increase is steep and that competitive bidding in our capitalistic
system would have benefited Cypress residents? We certainly wouldn’t
have received a worse contract by waiting.
3. Why wasn’t the company who provides sanitation for the city of Los
Alamitos, who will have an eight dollar ($8) a month less in trash charges
contacted, or was it? Sanitation is not like construction, where quality is
important, trash is either picked up or not. It has been suggested that
Los Al has very high rates to commercial and multi-family customers to
subsidize single family residential rates. If so, are the citizens of Cypress
subsidizing commercial business in our city?
4. If true, the most baffling/disturbing fact is the idea that Ms. Marquez
was prohibited from communicating with city staff. Additionally, for full
transparency and the fact that the contract was signed, was there any
information that wasn’t allowed to flow among the council or to the public?
5. It appears that Cypress citizens had a deadline to protest the contract
and a date at a city council meeting to voice opinions about the contract.
Why was deadline and opportunity proffered AFTER the contract has been
signed?