PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES for SOLID WASTE and RECYCLING DIVISION

Location:	Washington
Posted:	Jan 21, 2026
Due:	Mar 25, 2026
Agency:	County of Clark
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services
Solicitation No:	RFP Number: 947
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

RFP Number: 947

It is the responsibility of the proposer to monitor this site prior to proposal submission, in case additional information, which may be pertinent to the proposal is provided.

General Information:

The Public Works Solid Waste and Recycling Division is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to facilitate the Regional Solid Waste System Steering Committee (RSWSSC) in evaluating and implementing changes to the regional solid waste system.

Release Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Closing Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Pre-Bid Conference:

A Non-Mandatory Pre-Submittal meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 11:00am via Microsoft Teams. Proposers shall email the Project Manager, Joelle Loescher no later than January 23, 2026, at Solidwaste@clark.wa.gov to request a meeting invite.

Attachments:

Attachment Preview

REQUEST for PROPOSAL # 947

PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL AND EXPERT SERVICES

Clark County Washington

RELEASE DATE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026

DUE DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026 by 11:00 am

Request for Proposal for:

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES for

SOLID WASTE and RECYCLING DIVISION

SUBMIT:

One (1) USB containing all submission materials

of the Proposal to:

UPS / FedEx or Hand Delivery

Clark County

ATTN: Office of Purchasing

1300 Franklin Street, 6th Floor, Suite 650

Vancouver WA 98660

564-397-2323

United States Postal Service (ONLY)

Clark County

ATTN: Office of Purchasing

PO Box 5000

Vancouver WA 98666-5000

564-397-2323

Office Hours: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm, Monday – Friday, except Legal Holidays.

No electronic submissions.

**Proposals must be delivered to the Purchasing office – No Exceptions

**Proposals must be date and time stamped by Purchasing staff by 11:00 am on due date – No Exceptions

**Proposal shall be sealed and clearly marked on the package cover with RFP #, Title & Company Name

Refer Questions to Project Manager:

Joelle Loescher

Solid Waste Operations Manager / Public Works

Joelle.Loescher@clark.wa.gov

564-397-8126

A&E

General Terms and Conditions

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS - Contractors shall comply with all management and

administrative requirements established by Washington Administrative Code (WAC), the

Revised Code of the State of Washington (RCW), and any subsequent amendments or

modifications, as applicable to providers licensed in the State of Washington.

ALL proposals submitted become the property of Clark County. It is understood and agreed

that the prospective Proposer claims no proprietary rights to the ideas and written materials

contained in or attached to the proposal submitted. Clark County has the right to reject or

accept proprietary information.

AUTHORSHIP - Applicants must identify any assistance provided by agencies or indivi-

duals outside the proposers own organization in preparing the proposal. No contingent

fees for such assistance will be allowed to be paid under any contract resulting from this

RFP.

CANCELLATION OF AWARD - Clark County reserves the right to immediately cancel an

award if the contractual agreement has not been entered into by both parties or if new state

regulations or policy make it necessary to change the program purpose or content,

discontinue such programs, or impose funding reductions. In those cases where

negotiation of contract activities are necessary, Clark County reserves the right to limit the

period of negotiation to sixty (60) days after which time funds may be unencumbered.

CONFIDENTIALLY - Proposer shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws

governing the confidentiality of information.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST - All proposals submitted must contain a statement disclosing

or denying any interest, financial or otherwise, that any employee or official of Clark County

or the appropriate Advisory Board may have in the proposing agency or proposed project.

CONSORTIUM OF AGENCIES - Any consortium of companies or agencies submitting a

proposal must certify that each company or agency of the consortium can meet the

requirements set forth in the RFP.

COST OF PROPOSAL & AWARD - The contract award will not be final until Clark County

and the prospective contractor have executed a contractual agreement. The contractual

agreement consists of the following parts: (a) the basic provisions and general terms and

conditions, (b) the special terms and conditions, (c) the project description and goals

(Statement of Work), and (d) the budget and payment terms. Clark County is not

responsible for any costs incurred prior to the effective date of the contract. Clark County

reserves the right to make an award without further negotiation of the proposal submitted.

Therefore, the proposal should be submitted in final form from a budgetary, technical, and

programmatic standpoint.

DISPUTES - Clark County encourages the use of informal resolution to address complaints

or disputes arising over any actions in implementing the provisions of this RFP. Written

complaints should be addressed to Clark County – Purchasing, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver,

Washington 98666-5000.

DIVERSITY IN EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS - It is the

policy of Clark County to require equal opportunity in employment and services subject

to eligibility standards that may be required for a specific program. Clark County is an

equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal opportunity in

employment and in access to the provision of all county services. Clark County's Equal

Employment

Opportunity

Plan

available

http://www.clark.wa.gov/hr/documents.html. This commitment applies regardless of

race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, national origin, disability, age, veteran

status, on-the-job injury, or sexual orientation. Employment decisions are made without

consideration of these or any other factors that are prohibited by law. In compliance with

department of Labor Regulations implementing Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act of

1973, as amended, no qualified handicapped individual shall be discriminated against

in admission or access to any program or activity. The prospective contractor must agree

to provide equal opportunity in the administration of the contract, and its subcontracts or

other agreements.

MUNICIPAL RESEARCH and SERVICE CENTER - Clark County (WA) contracts with

the Municipal Research and Service Center (MRSC) to maintain our Consultant, Small

Works and Vendor rosters. To be eligible to participate in this Clark County public

solicitation and the resulting contract, your business must be registered with the MRSC

Rosters. Failure to register may result in your proposal being marked nonresponsive.

Be sure to select Clark County in your application. If you have questions about the

registration process, contact the MRSC Rosters at 206-436-3798 or

https://mrscrosters.org/businesses/business-membership/

independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement for the purpose of

restricting competition. This does not preclude or impede the formation of a consortium

of companies and/or agencies for purposes of engaging in jointly sponsored proposals.

INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT - Clark County has made this RFP subject to Washington

State statute RCW 39.34. Therefore, the proposer may, at the proposers option, extend

identical prices and services to other public agencies wishing to participate in this RFP.

Each public agency wishing to utilize this RFP will issue a purchase order (or contract)

binding only their agency. Each contract is between the proposer and the individual agency

with no liability to Clark County.

LIMITATION - This RFP does not commit Clark County to award a contract, to pay any

costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP, or to procure or contract for

services or supplies.

LATE PROPOSALS - A proposal received after the date and time indicated above will not

be accepted. No exceptions will be made.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS - An oral presentation may be required of those prospective

contractors whose proposals are under consideration. Prospective contractors may be

informed that an oral presentation is desired and will be notified of the date, time and

location the oral presentation is to be conducted.

OTHER AUDIT/MONITORING REQUIREMENTS - In addition, auditing or monitoring for

the following purposes will be conducted at the discretion of Clark County: Fund

accountability; Contract compliance; and Program performance.

PRICE WARRANT - The proposer shall warrant that the costs quoted for services in

response to the RFP are not in excess of those which would be charged any other individual

or entity for the same services performed by the prospective contractor, in a similar

socioeconomic, geographical region.

REQUEST for PROPOSALS – This solicitation is an invitation by Clark County for

Proposers to submit an offer, which may be subject to subsequent discussions and

negotiations by the County and the Proposer. It is not a request for a competitive bid.

A Proposal means any document, submittal, interview presentation, negotiation, and

everything and anything provided in response to this RFP regardless of whether the

submission is an oral or written submission.

Clark County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result

of this RFP, to negotiate with any or all prospective contractors on modifications to

proposals, to waive formalities, to postpone award, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this

RFP if it is in the best interest of Clark County to do so.

PROTESTS - Must be submitted to the Purchasing Department within 3 business days of

receipt of Letter of Notice.

PUBLIC SAFETY - May require limiting access to public work sites, public facilities, and

public offices, sometimes without advance notice. The successful Proposer’s employees

and agents shall carry sufficient identification to show by whom they are employed and

display it upon request to security personnel. County project managers have discretion

to require the successful Proposer’s employees and agents to be escorted to and from

any public office, facility or work site if national or local security appears to require it.

SALES TAX - Out of State Businesses – WA State Reporting Thresholds & Nexus

https://dor.wa.gov/education/industry-guides/out-state-businesses-reporting-thresholds-

and-nexus Businesses operating outside WA State must register to report B&O tax and

collect/submit applicable sales tax, if the business meets any of the following thresholds in

the current or prior year:

• Has physical presence nexus in Washington.

• Has more than $100,000 in combined gross receipts sourced or attributed to

Washington.

• Is organized or commercially domiciled in Washington.

SUBCONTRACTING - No activities or services included as a part of this proposal may

be subcontracted to another organization, firm, or individual without the approval of

Clark County. Such intent to subcontract shall be clearly identified in the proposal. It is

understood that the contractor is held responsible for the satisfactory accomplishment

of the service or activities included in a subcontract.

VERBAL PROPOSALS - Verbal proposals will not be considered in making the award of

any contract as a result of this RFP.

WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE – The contractor shall comply with R.C.W.

Title 51- with minimum coverage limits of $500,000 for each accident, or provide

evidence that State law does not require such coverage.

INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION - The prospective contractor guarantees that,

in connection with this proposal, the prices and/or cost data have been arrived at

FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMATS

Clark County ADA Office: V: 564-397-2322

ADA@clark.wa.gov

Request for Proposals

Table of Contents

PART I

PART II

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Section IA: General Information

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. Scope of Project

4. Project Funding

5. Title VI Statement

6. Timeline for Selection

7. Employment Verification

Section IB: Work Requirements

1. Required Services

2. County Performed Work

3. Deliverables and Schedule

4. Place of Performance

5. Period of Performance

6. Debarred / Suspended

7. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

8. Public Disclosure

9. Insurance/Bond

10. Plan Holders List

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMITTAL

Section IIA: Pre-Submittal Meeting/Clarification

1. Pre-Submittal Meeting

2. Proposal Clarification

PART III

Section IIB: Proposal Submission

1. Proposals Due

2. Proposal

Section IIC: Proposal Content

1. Cover Sheet

2. Project Team

3. Management Approach

4. Respondent’s Capabilities

5. Project Approach and Understanding

6. Proposed Cost

PROPOSAL EVALUATION & CONTRACT AWARD

Section IIIA: Proposal Review and Selection

1. Evaluation and Selection

2. Evaluation Criteria Scoring

Section IIIB: Contract Award

1. Consultant Selection

2. Contract Development

3. Award Review

4. Orientation/Kick-off Meeting

ATTACHMENTS

A: Proposal Cover Sheet

B: Letter of Interest

C: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters Form

EXHIBITS

A. RSWSSC Bylaws

B. Sample Contract

Request for Proposal # 947

Professional Consulting Services for Solid Waste and Recycling Division

Part I

Proposal Requirements

Section IA

1. Introduction

General Information

Clark County Public Works (County) Solid Waste and Recycling Division is seeking proposals

from qualified consultants (Proposers) to facilitate the Regional Solid Waste System Steering

Committee (RSWSSC) in evaluating and implementing changes to the regional solid waste

system. The selected Proposer will provide facilitation, legal and financial analysis, and

administrative support for RSWSSC’s semiannual and ad-hoc meetings.

Key Priorities:

1. Develop a framework for forming a regional solid waste utility.

2. Finalize decisions on transitioning transfer stations to public ownership under

the proposed utility.

3. Facilitate discussions on siting and developing a North County Transfer

Station.

4. Recommend actions and timelines aligned with the Clark County

Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (CSWMP).

The Proposer will ensure decisions reflect regional priorities and align with legislative,

financial, and operational considerations.

This is a qualifications-based selection process, do not submit costs with proposal.

Clark County, (WA) contracts with the Municipal Research and Service Center (MRSC) to

maintain our Consultant Rosters. To be eligible to participate in this public solicitation and the

resulting contract your business must be registered with the MRSC Rosters.

Failure to register may result in your proposal being marked non-responsive. Be sure to select

Clark County in your application. If you have questions about the registration process, contact

the MRSC Rosters at 206-436-3798 or https://mrscrosters.org/businesses/business-

membership/

If your company contact details are not on the Plan Holder List at

https://clark.wa.gov/internal-services/request-proposal-1

Attachment B, Letter of Interest must be submitted to participate in this RFP.

Proposers shall respond to all sections to be considered.

2. Background

During recent years, agencies within Clark County have discussed the potential benefits of

forming a regional solid waste utility structure. In September of 2024, Clark County entered

into a service agreement contract with the City of Vancouver and Columbia Resource

Company. This contract, in part, asserted a strong preference for regional-entity ownership of

the transfer stations. It was further agreed upon that the County and Vancouver intend to

negotiate the terms of an interlocal agreement pursuant to chapter 39.34 RCW that identifies

a statutory mechanism for the formation of the entity to be the County successor, a general

initial framework for shared, representational governance by all participating jurisdictions, and

establishing a transparent and accountable timeline for the formation of the entity by

December 31, 2029.

Request for Proposal # 947

Professional Consulting Services for Solid Waste and Recycling Division

What is RSWSSC

RSWSSC is comprised of the Public Works Directors or their designees from the Cities of,

Battle Ground, Camas, La Center, Ridgefield, Vancouver, Washougal, the town of Yacolt and

the Public Works Director for Clark County which is the lead agency for the regional effort.

Interlocal agreements between the County and the cities and town include language outlining

the role of RSWSSC. The agreements provide direction to the County concerning the

development of the regional solid waste system, its infrastructure, and the implementation of

the recommended priorities and programs outlined in the CSWMP. RSWSSC provides

recommendations to the County on matters such as contracts, budgets, resource sharing,

system analysis and improvements, and public education, outreach, and marketing. RSWSSC

reviews the priorities for waste reduction and waste recycling outlined in the CSWMP to assure

that these priorities are incorporated in the budget proposals and work programs of member

organizations, to assess the results of programs and projects, and to assure that future

infrastructure needs are addressed through operational practices and procedures. RSWSSC

maintains regular communication with the Clark County Solid Waste Advisory Commission

(SWAC) and elected officials. Members of RSWSSC meet semiannually throughout the year

with special meetings called as needed. For more information on the committee, the RSWCC

Bylaws are provided in Exhibit A.

Planning area

The regional solid waste system planning area includes the incorporated and unincorporated

areas of Clark County. This includes the cities of Battle Ground, Camas, La Center, Ridgefield,

Vancouver, Washougal, and the town of Yacolt. Clark County, with an estimated 2023

population of 527,400, is the southernmost county in the state of Washington.

The region’s six cities and one town account for an estimated 54.5% of the population in 2023

while the remaining 45.5% remains unincorporated. Current population and demographic

information for the county is maintained on the Clark County Demographics data story map

including race, ethnicity, age, language spoken, disabilities, and housing. This data is

analyzed to inform programmatic efforts and needs to ensure equitable access to programs

and services.

Local reference model for the creation of a regional utility

RSWSSC and county representatives have begun conversations with the Discovery Clean

Water Alliance as an example of a successful local model that moved toward public utility. The

Discovery Clean Water Alliance legally formed in 2013 and represents the culmination of

several years of evaluation to determine the optimum long-term framework for delivery of

regional wastewater transmission and treatment services to the urban growth areas in the

central portion of Clark County, Washington. The selected Proposer is encouraged to

reference and expand upon a similar model when developing their proposal.

Supporting documents

Each Proposer may obtain the following background information in electronic format from the

Clark County website:

• Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan for years 2025-2030 (adoption

pending)

• The Regional Solid Waste System Study Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports

• The Evaluation of ownership options report

• North Area Transfer Station Preliminary Siting Report

3. Scope of Project

The selected Proposer will provide a team of professionals that will complete a framework for

forming a regional solid waste utility structure. The framework will address the information

necessary for RSWSSC to formally endorse the regional solid waste utility and will function as

a guidance document for the transition of services to the regional entity.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

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PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES for SOLID WASTE and RECYCLING DIVISION

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See also