To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services Agreements
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Public Infrastructure Department to execute fourteen (14) agreements, in form approved by County Counsel, for as-needed disaster debris removal and disposal services with the following firms: Anvil Builders Inc, AshBritt/Mountain Environmental Joint Venture, Ceres Environmental Services Inc, CrowderGulf, DRC Pacific Inc., ECC Constructors LLC, Land Revision, Odin Environmental Solutions LLC DBA Odin, Recology Sonoma Marin, NRC a Republic Services Company, Sonoma County Resource Recovery LLC, Southern Disaster Recovery LLC, Team Ghilotti Inc., and TFR Enterprises Inc.
B) Authorize the Director of the Public Infrastructure Department to issue and execute Task Orders pursuant to the proposed agreements, up to total amounts not-to-exceed $500,000 per task order, and contingent on availability of sufficient funding for each order.
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Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services on May 19, 2026, with proposals due on July 2, 2026. The RFP was issued in advance of the expiration of the County's current disaster debris removal and disposal agreements. Staff recommend that the County enter into fourteen as-needed agreements with qualified firms selected through the competitive RFP process so the County can rapidly mobilize disaster debris removal and disposal related support services when needed. The agreements will provide pre-positioned capacity for natural disasters or other debris-generating events, including local or regional events that may not meet federal funding thresholds.
Maintaining these agreements is necessary to preserve the County's emergency response capacity, support timely debris clearance and public safety, and maintain documentation needed for potential reimbursement from Federal, State, and other eligible funding sources. The agreements will be used only when services are needed, and no work will be authorized unless a written Task Order is issued. Because the type, scale, location, and funding eligibility of future disasters cannot be predicted, costs will be managed through project-specific Task Orders and coordinated with the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Disaster Finance Team and the County Executive's Office as appropriate.
Discussion:
Sonoma County has experienced multiple federally declared disasters since 2017, each requiring rapid access to specialized professional services to support emergency response and recovery. Disaster debris removal and disposal is a critical function during large debris-generating incidents because debris can obstruct public rights-of-way, threaten public health and safety, interfere with utility and emergency access, and require lawful management under Federal, State, and local requirements. To improve readiness, the Board approved as-needed disaster debris removal and disposal services agreements in 2020 and again in 2023. Those agreements established pre-positioned capacity for a range of debris removal and disposal services and were structured for a three-year term. With the current agreements approaching expiration, SPI released an RFP for a new round of standby contracts in order to avoid a gap in emergency response capability.
On May 19, 2026, the County released the Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services RFP, with proposals due July 2, 2026. The RFP was designed to establish agreements with multiple qualified contractors and associated facilities that can support the County in preparation for, and response to, natural disasters or other debris-generating events. The scope of work under the proposed contracts is not limited to federally declared disasters. Thus, the contracts may be used for all potential local or regional events.
The RFP sought qualified contractors or facilities able to provide one or more of the following key areas of service:
•Disaster Debris Removal
•Temporary Debris Staging and Reduction Services
•Removal of Hazardous Trees and Hanging Limbs
•Removal of Hazardous Stumps
•Right-of-Way White Goods Debris Removal
•Electronic Waste Handling and Removal
•Household Hazardous Waste Removal and Disposal
•Abandoned Vehicle and Vessel Removal
•Security
•Traffic Control
•Landfill Disposal sites and other Disposal Facilities
•Incineration Facilities
The RFP was developed to promote a competitive selection process and to ensure that the County has access to multiple qualified contractors and facilities with the capacity, expertise, regulatory knowledge, and financial and operational ability necessary to support a range of debris operations. In response to the RFP, the County received proposals from fourteen firms and facilities, of which fourteen were determined responsive. Proposals were reviewed for responsiveness and evaluated according to the RFP criteria: completeness of response, understanding of work, similar experience, technical ability and qualifications, cost, debarment/disqualification statement, and references. Based on this evaluation, staff recommends that the County enter into agreements with the following firms:
• Anvil Builders Inc.
• AshBritt/Mountain Environmental Joint Venture
• Ceres Environmental Services Inc.
• CrowderGulf
• DRC Pacific Inc.
• ECC Constructors LLC
• Land Revision
• Odin Environmental Solutions LLC DBA Odin
• Recology Sonoma Marin
• NRC a Republic Services Company
• Sonoma County Resource Recovery LLC
• Southern Disaster Recovery LLC
• Team Ghilotti Inc.
• TFR Enterprises, Inc.
Given the unknown type and scale of any future disaster, the appropriateness of awarding and using any of the proposers would depend on the type of work needed, their relative ability to perform the work, and their cost, especially given requirements for FEMA reimbursement. Price considerations and need demands will drive whether and how any of the pre-positioned contractors will be tasked with any actual work scopes or task orders. For example, in a large-scale disaster, a contractor with the lowest prices may provide no value to the County if it cannot provide services on the scale required. When a disaster occurs, or is imminent, the following three-step process will be performed in order to have any contractor or facility perform or receive work:
1. Evaluate the initial scale and type(s) of the services needed to address the event
2. Based upon the scale and diversity of services needed, evaluate only those contractors and facilities able to provide the work to the County in the most advantageous manner, based on pre-positioned price structures under the contracts, then-market circumstances, and other factors, and
3. Contact the selected contractors holding Debris Removal and Disposal Services contracts, notifying them of the County’s intent to issue a task order(s) under their respective contract. Work will be authorized only pursuant to an executed task order that establishes a specific scope of work and not-to-exceed budget estimate.
It should be noted that there are some services, such as disposal facilities or transfer stations that, due to the uniqueness of their location and services relative to the disaster, might narrow the field of selected contractors. For example, a proposed processing facility in the middle of a disaster zone may be preferable over a less expensive one further away, as it could affect the overall cost structure of a given project with all services involved.
The total estimated cost of these services will depend on the scope, timing, duration, and nature of future disasters and therefore cannot be predicted at this time. No monetary limit is recommended for the master agreements; costs will be controlled through project-specific written task orders executed by the Director of Public Infrastructure, subject to the not-to-exceed authority approved by the Board and availability of funding. During a major disaster, an initial internal funding source may be required to begin work under the agreements. SPI will coordinate with the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Disaster Finance Team and County Executive's Office to identify appropriate funding sources, track eligible costs, and pursue reimbursement from FEMA, Cal OES, and other available funding sources to the extent applicable.
The agreements will have a three-year term, with rates and compensation terms established in the agreements and any executed task orders. This action is consistent with the Recovery and Resiliency Framework approved by the Board on December 11, 2018, including Goal C4 to identify essential infrastructure, services, and resources necessary during a disaster and, to the extent possible, have contracts and/or memoranda of understanding in place.
SPI recommends the Board authorize the fourteen agreements for as-needed disaster debris removal and disposal services. The Board may elect not to authorize these agreements, however, doing so could delay emergency response and recovery operations because the County would need to procure these specialized services during or immediately after a disaster, when timely mobilization, lawful disposal, and documentation are critical
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
09/12/2023: Board approved 13 Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services Agreements
07/14/2020: Board approved 16 Disaster Debris Removal and Disposal Services Agreements
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
At this time appropriations are not being requested as proposed agreements will be utilized only in the event of a disaster. As with past disasters, SPI will coordinate disaster funding and budget appropriations with the Auditor’s Disaster Finance Team and County Executive’s Office.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Professional Services Agreement for As-Needed Disaster Debris Services
Attachment A Debris Removal Scope of Work
Exhibit A FEMA-PA-Rider
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.