DATE: August 11, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Continued Item for Future Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organic Waste Collection Services in Unincorporated Fresno County
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Receive information relating to the County’s current Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organic Waste Collection/Management Program; and
2. Direct staff to return to your Board on September 22, 2026, with updated recommendations for the future solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection program.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) is requesting additional time for staff to provide your Board with updated recommendations for the future solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection program. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, your Board may instead direct staff to proceed with amending the current Exclusive Service Area Program (ESAP) agreements with the existing ESAP haulers, to add an additional two-year extension, through February 27, 2030.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Costs for administering the solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection program are funded by the AB 939 Service Fees remitted to the County. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Resources Division Org 9015 FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
On August 30, 2005, the Board adopted Chapter 8.21 of the County Ordinance Code, which established the exclusive service areas. The Board simultaneously approved agreements with 14 solid waste haulers, consistent with competitive public procurement protocols, to provide exclusive collection services within the assigned territories created by Chapter 8.21.
ESAP services are provided to customers who choose to subscribe to weekly curbside collection services, with containers varying in size from 30-gallon carts to 6-cubic-yard bins. The County’s current program design is non-mandatory. Residents and businesses have the option to self-haul rather than subscribing to ESAP services, so long as they are compliant with Chapter 8.20 (Solid Waste Disposal) and Chapter 8.27 (Organic Waste Disposal Reduction Program) of the County Ordinance Code.
On October 31, 2017, the Board approved the Amended and Successor Agreements for solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection services with ESAP haulers. These Agreements maintained the original scope of services, with updates to address upcoming regulatory requirements and improve reporting. Throughout the term of these Agreements, the County has approved three Amendments to address recycling market challenges, recyclable material contamination issues, and major regulatory updates. The ESAP Agreements are currently in their final Extension Term, with all agreements set to expire on February 27, 2028.
In preparation for a new Agreement in 2028, the County initiated a Performance Review of ESAP Haulers pursuant to the existing Agreement, with assistance from the County’s solid waste planning consultant Stearns, Conrad, and Schmidt Consulting Engineers (SCS Engineers). Following a final report from SCS Engineers, the Department submitted a Board Briefing Report (BBR) on December 22, 2025, to inform your Board of the results of the Performance Review. The BBR also informed your Board that Department staff were preparing to seek Board direction regarding the future solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection program.
On July 14, 2026, your Board continued agenda item #8, regarding direction for the future solid waste, recycling and organic waste collection program. At that time, the Department was recommending and seeking your Board’s direction to proceed with transitioning to a single contractor exclusive franchise program design, implementation of mandatory collection services within select areas, and procurement of services through the competitive bidding process.
Department staff met with and received feedback from the seven ESAP haulers regarding the proposed recommendations and their potential operational impacts. Based on the feedback, Department staff is now requesting additional time to evaluate the feedback and prepare updated recommendations. Approval of the second recommended action will allow Department staff to return to your Board on September 22, 2026, with updated recommendations for the future solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection program.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #8, July 14, 2026
BBR - Performance Review for Exclusive Service Area Program Haulers, December 22, 2025
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Presentation
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia