Fresno County Supervisors Order Staff to Overhaul Trash Contracts Within 60 Days

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 11 to scrap plans for a two-year extension of existing trash hauler agreements and instead ordered staff to return in 60 days with a completely rewritten 10-year contract.

The unanimous decision affects seven trash companies currently operating under Exclusive Service Area Program agreements in unincorporated Fresno County — contracts set to expire in February 2028.

“As a business person, I would want stability,” Supervisor Brian Pacheco said. “I wouldn’t want to wait two years for stability; I would want that right now.”

Advertisement

Staff had recommended a two-year extension to allow time to fix what they described as unworkable contract language. Annie Shelton from the county’s Department of Public Works and Planning Resource Division told supervisors the current agreements have “vague language with room for interpretation” that prevents the county from fully enforcing compliance.

“The way that the contract works right now — and I’ve been very vocal about this — is that it just really doesn’t work,” Shelton said.

But supervisors questioned why fixing the contracts should take two years when the problems are already known.

The current seven haulers — Industrial Waste and Salvage, Peña’s Disposal, Mid Valley Disposal, Miramonte Sanitation, Western Solid Waste, Waste Management and Republic Services — spoke in favor of keeping the multi-company system rather than consolidating to a single countywide hauler, an option staff had initially recommended at a July 14 meeting.

Joseph Kalpakoff, CEO of Mid Valley Disposal, reminded supervisors that family-run haulers gave up their right to compete 20 years ago when the county established exclusive service areas in 2005 to comply with a state order. Those companies then invested in recycling centers and materials recovery facilities.

“You’ve got five family companies that gave up their right to compete, gave up their right of their business and put it in the hands of the county,” Kalpakoff said. “My ask today for you, supervisors, is to remember that we kept you compliant, the family haulers invested in your county, and give us an extension and let us continue to invest to pick up trash.”

Six of the seven haulers signed a letter opposing consolidation to a single operator, arguing that would “put others out of business and significantly reduced the competitive environment for waste and recycling services in the region.”

Supervisor Chavez also requested adding cleanup services — paid for only by affected residents — to address needs in unincorporated areas of his district including Calwa and Mayfair.

The Breakdown

• The county’s Exclusive Service Area Program divides unincorporated Fresno County among seven trash haulers, each with an assigned territory — service is optional for residents and businesses, who can self-haul if they follow county rules
• Current contracts expire February 2028; staff had proposed a two-year extension through 2030 to allow time to rewrite problem language
• Supervisors instead directed staff to present a fully revised 10-year contract within 60 days
• Three current supervisors are leaving office by year’s end; staff had wanted extra time to brief incoming board members on the program’s history

What This Means for You

If you live in unincorporated Fresno County, the trash hauler serving your area could be locked into a new 10-year agreement by October — without another chance for the Board of Supervisors you elect to revisit the terms until the mid-2030s. The contracts that govern how your trash service operates, what it costs, and whether the county can hold haulers accountable are being rewritten right now by staff who report to this board.

What You Can Do

The Board of Supervisors will consider the revised contract proposal at a meeting in early October (the specific date and agenda details are not yet published). Public comment is allowed at board meetings; check the Fresno County Board of Supervisors website for the meeting schedule and how to submit comments in advance or speak in person.

What to Watch

Supervisor Pacheco called for a contract with “all the teeth you need” to enforce compliance — but what does that actually mean when it’s written down? Staff described the current agreements as having vague language the county can’t enforce. Whether the October proposal genuinely closes those gaps or simply papers over them with more bureaucratic language is the real test.

A 10-year contract is a decade-long commitment to these seven companies with no meaningful competition — residents can’t vote with their feet, and the county carved up the territory so haulers don’t compete with each other. That’s a stable business model for the haulers, which is exactly what they asked for.

Supervisor Chavez’s request for additional cleanup services in areas like Calwa and Mayfair raises another question worth tracking: when those services are added and “only the affected residents would pay for,” how is that cost calculated, and who verifies it’s fair?