Issaquah could dump Waste Management for CleanScapes, despite questions
October 12, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 12, 2011
The discussion about the next contract to collect Issaquah garbage turned messy Tuesday, as a rival company interested in the deal criticized the process and urged elected officials to scrutinize the top contender.
The city is seeking a garbage hauler to serve most Issaquah neighborhoods. Waste Management is the predominant hauler in the city, but the current contract between Issaquah and the Houston-based company expires in June.
Seattle-based CleanScapes emerged as the No. 1 contender after city officials evaluated offers from both companies and another collector, Allied Waste — a local name for national company Republic Services.
City officials said a $3.8-million-per-year CleanScapes contract could mean lower rates for Issaquah customers, plus increased customer service and recycling options. City Council members should decide on the contract before the end of the month.
Spot Salmon Days’ Roving Fish Fan for prizes
October 1, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 1, 2011
Find the Roving Fish Fan at the Salmon Days Festival to reel in prizes from the pun-happy festival’s ohfishal spawnsors.
Spot the Roving Fish Fan at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.
If you find the Roving Fish Fan first at the different locations at the festival, he or she then tells you a booth number or offers you a business card to claim a prize.
Find real-time clues to find the Roving Fish Fan on Twitter. Use the hashtag #FishFan to track him or her, find out what he or she is wearing, and learn secret words to become a winner. Find clues on Facebook, too.
Use the hashtag #SalmonDays to join the festival on Twitter.
Roving Fish Fan prizes include $100 gift certificates to Virginia Mason Medical Center’s MediSpa, plus prizes from BECU, Swedish/Issaquah, Orthopedic Physician Associates, CleanScapes, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Coldwell Banker Bain and Seattle Children’s.
CleanScapes is leading candidate to haul Issaquah trash
September 15, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. Sept. 15, 2011
The leading candidate to haul Issaquah garbage, recyclables and compostables from the curb next summer is Seattle-based CleanScapes.
The city formed a review panel to study proposals from CleanScapes and other haulers. The panel then selected CleanScapes to proceed to the next step, contract negotiations.
Council Utilities, Technology & Environment Committee members heard a briefing about the process Tuesday. The final contract is expected to go before to the complete City Council for consideration in October.
CleanScapes serves customers in Seattle, Shoreline, San Francisco and Portland, Ore. The company started operations in Seattle’s Pioneer Square 14 years ago.
Garbage haulers tout ‘green’ credentials
May 10, 2011
James Connors (left) and Rey Bravo, yard waste and recycle truck drivers, respectively, for Allied Waste, each drive the new compressed natural gas-fueled trucks on their South Cove routes. By Greg Farrar
City seeks eco-conscious company for trash contract
The city is on the hunt for a company to collect garbage and recyclables from Issaquah curbs, and the hauler displaying the “greenest” credentials could receive a boost in the selection process.
Come fall, leaders plan to select a company to handle the smelly task in the years ahead. In the meantime, Allied Waste and Waste Management — the haulers operating in Issaquah — continue to emphasize eco-conscious programs.
Allied Waste rolled out compressed-natural-gas-powered trucks on routes through the Greenwood Point and South Cove neighborhoods in recent months.
In February, the hunter green Waste Management fleet received a clean-air certification after a rigorous audit.
“Sustainability is always on the agenda,” city Resource Conservation Manager David Fujimoto said. “It’s important to the city and to the waste-management contracts.”
