Agenda Item Wording:
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Approve the addition of four (4) solid waste operator positions and authorize the purchase of five (5) solid waste trucks - Authorize the City Manager to approve four (4) additional growth Solid Waste Operator positions and the purchase of five (5) residential solid waste trucks through the Sourcewell Cooperative contract from Coast Counties Peterbilt in the amount of $2,783,222.00, and appropriate $2,783,222.00 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for the truck purchases.
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Agenda Date: 11/16/2026
Prepared by:
Jason Serpa, Public Works Manager, jason.serpa@visalia.city, 713-4533 Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director, nick.bartsch@visalia.city, 713-4052
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to approve four (4) additional growth Solid Waste Operator positions and the purchase of five (5) residential solid waste trucks through the Sourcewell Cooperative contract from Coast Counties Peterbilt in the amount of $2,783,222.00, and appropriate $2,783,222.00 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for the truck purchases.
Summary:
The Public Works Department's Solid Waste Residential Division is requesting four (4) additional growth operator positions and five (5) additional solid waste collection trucks to address continued growth in residential collection services and maintain adequate operational capacity.
Using the City's previously approved methodology for determining staffing needs, the Division currently requires approximately 34.5 drivers to complete the 132,503 residential can lifts required each week. The Division currently has 31 residential drivers, resulting in a calculated staffing need of approximately four additional operators.
The Division's request also considers the increasing frequency and duration of employee absences resulting from workplace injuries, as well as revolving vacancies and the resulting reliance on overtime to maintain service levels. Historical data indicates an average of 3.5 long-term driver outages since 2021, with a recent increase in both the number and duration of these absences.
To adequately support the additional staffing, the Division also requires additional collection vehicles. After accounting for the planned electric truck pilot, five (5) new trucks are needed to maintain the Division's current backup vehicle capacity.
Background Discussion:
The Solid Waste Residential Division annually analyzes staffing requirements using a previously approved methodology that evaluates the total number of residential can lifts required throughout the City compared to the number of lifts a driver can reasonably complete during a standard work week.
Under this methodology, a residential solid waste driver is expected to complete approximately 960 can lifts during a ten-hour workday. This calculation accounts for approximately eight hours of collection activities and two hours of travel time to and from the landfill, including applicable breaks. At an average of 30 seconds per lift, this equates to approximately 3,840 can lifts per driver during a four-day work week.
According to the City's utility billing system, there are currently 132,503 residential can lifts required each week. Based on this information, the Division's staffing requirement is calculated as follows:
• Total weekly residential can lifts: 132,503
• Average weekly lifts per driver: 3,840
• Calculated driver requirement: 34.5
• Current residential driver complement: 31
• Additional drivers requested: 4
The current staffing complement includes two additional drivers that were approved in July 2025. At that time, the staffing calculation indicated a need for four additional drivers; however, under a conservative approach, the Solid Waste Division only requested only two positions at that time, hopeful to capitalize on efficiencies. This decision recognized that route configurations, collection distances, material types, and collection volumes vary, allowing some routes to achieve greater efficiencies than others.
For reference, the Solid Waste Residential Division also utilizes two Lead Solid Waste Operator positions to also provide coverage for staff’ scheduled vacation time, which are not included in the calculated driver complement. With current staffing of 31 drivers within the division, each receiving between 2-4 weeks of vacation time throughout the year, coverage is needed to account for this leave time. Additionally, an overfill driver position was approved in FY 2023-24 to help address revolving vacancies and long-term leave across the Solid Waste divisions. While this position has been beneficial in maintaining regular staffing levels, the Divison has continued to experience rolling vacancies in the overfill position.
Following an updated staffing evaluation and an analysis of employee injury-related absences conducted in coordination with Human Resources, the Solid Waste Division and Human Resources determined that approving the full calculated staffing complement is necessary. The staffing methodology establishes the number of drivers needed under normal operating conditions but does not account for extended absences resulting from workplace injuries.
Since 2021, the Division has averaged the equivalent of 3.5 FTE in long-term driver outages, with a recent increase in both the frequency and duration of these absences. These outages, combined with continued City growth and revolving vacancies, have contributed to increased overtime expenditures and operational challenges.
Overtime for the residential division (4443) has risen over the last few years as seen below:
FY 22/23 = $233,463
FY 23/24 = $310,074
FY 24/25 = $312,562
FY 25/26 = $424,257
Because overtime generally only occurs during times of staffing stresses within the Residential Division, with adequate staffing, overtime will be reduced and should return to normal levels.
Solid Waste Trucks needed to accompany growth positions:
As stated above, 2 additional solid waste operators were approved in the previous fiscal year (July 2025), but the Division held off on ordering trucks at that time as back-up vehicles were available on a temporary basis and staff was still evaluating zero-emission vehicle capabilities. If the recommended four (4) additional growth positions are approved, this will require the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund to purchase the equivalent of six (6) additional trucks to maintain the sufficient backup trucks available in the fleet. But because (1) all-electric residential truck was purchased in March of 2026 and can fill the need of one of these vehicles, only five (5) additional trucks are being requested to fulfill the current need. Because the efficiency and operational functionality of the zero-emission all-electric pilot truck is still being evaluated, these five (5) trucks are being proposed to be CNG-powered.
The proposed truck purchase will be sourced from Coast Counties Peterbilt of Porterville, CA through the Sourcewell Cooperative purchasing contract (032824-PMC). Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing helps the City save time and money by purchasing from ready-to-use, competitively solicited contracts. Cooperative Purchasing is “Procurement conducted by, or on behalf of, one or more Public Procurement Units,” as defined by the American Bar Association Model Procurement Code for State and Local Governments. Sourcewell streamlines the purchasing process by developing Requests for Purchase for national competitive solicitations that meet or exceed local requirements.
Fiscal impact including annual maintenance and operating costs:
Solid Waste Operator growth positions are supported through the additional revenue generated from the increase in solid waste services across the City. When additional housing or dwelling units are built, that growth produces new customers/rate payers that add to the revenue stream.
As stated above, an additional residential operator is deemed to be needed when an additional 3,840 lifts/cans (960 per day) are added to the week’s schedule. Each residential account adds 3 lifts per week, one for each service of trash, recycle, and green waste. The four requested operators are able to service 15,360 cans (3,840 lifts X 4 operators) which equate to 5,120 residential accounts (15,360 lifts / 3 cans). These residential accounts pay a baseline amount of $23.85 per account per month which is an additional annual revenue of $1,465,344.00.
The associated annual cost of a single solid waste operator with fringe benefits included is $99,500.00.
The five (5) growth solid waste residential trucks that are being requested are not budgeted and will need appropriation for the amount below:
Solid Waste Rate Study:
A Request for Proposals is currently active for a rate study to be conducted for the Solid Waste Division. Selection of the consultant should be completed by end of this calendar year, and the rate study is estimated to be completed around the end of this fiscal year 26/27. This rate study will be valuable in discerning forward-looking cost projections and taking into account the future growth of the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
Even though the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund is healthy in reserves, there has not been a rate change since 2012. The rate study will take into account increasing regulatory requirements, as well as ongoing environmental and operational considerations.
Prior Council Action:
Previous truck purchase authorizations have been routinely approved by Council as they have adhered to the budgeted vehicle replacement capital improvement plan apart from the grant funded electric trucks.
As stated above in the background discussion, Solid Waste growth positions are usually approved through the City Manager based on a calculation of service levels.
Because this request was finalized after the budgetary process, staff felt that it was important to ensure transparency with Council on the matter.
Alternatives:
Alternative action would be to consider less growth positions and trucks than recommended by staff. This alternative action may result in continued use of overtime to complete routes within the solid waste department.
Recommended Motion (and alternative motions if expected):
recommendation
I move that the City Council authorize the City Manager to approve four (4) additional growth Solid Waste Operator positions and the purchase of five (5) solid waste trucks through the Sourcewell Cooperative contract from Coast Counties Peterbilt in the amount of $2,783,222.00, and appropriate $2,783,222.00 from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for the truck purchases.
Environmental Assessment Status:
N/A
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Review:
N/A
Deadline for Action: 11/16/2026
Attachments:
Sourcewell Quote
Sourcewell Contract
Vehicle Purchase Authorization
Levine Act Statement
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Select all that apply.
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