The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to award a three-year tire diversion and recycling contract to Vergara Ag Services, a Bakersfield-based bidder, after a staff presentation and public comment on the scope and diversion guarantees.

Guillermo Hermoso, Administrative Services Officer for Solid Waste, told the board that California law via AB 939 requires counties to divert 50% of waste through source reduction, recycling and composting, and described the county’s current tire program. "Right now, staff estimates that there's approximately a thousand tons of tires already at the facility, and we're bringing in another thousand tons," Hermoso said, and added that the existing program had been covering its costs at the prior unit rate.

Hermoso said the county issued Request for Bids RFB26-008 seeking vendors that would provide labor, equipment and transportation, name an end use for tires, and bid a unit price. Vergara Ag submitted the lowest responsive bid at $179 per ton for loading, transport and removal; American Refuse doing business as TireTech (Owasco) bid $189 per ton and offered an alternate $169 per ton if the county provided loading equipment, which staff said was not feasible. A third bid exceeded the county gate rate and was disqualified.

During public comment Jeff Martin of American Refuse/TireTech said he was concerned the contract did not hold the county's contractor to a 100% diversion standard. "If in the contract it said 100% diversion, I wouldn't be up here. But in this contract, it doesn't... If the current contractor doesn't hold a 100%, there's no repercussions," Martin said, urging the board to allow bidders to price non‑100% diversion accordingly.

Hermoso responded that bidders had been provided an addendum requiring 100% diversion. He said the successful bidder will take tires to Avenal Landfill, where larger pieces are cut to under 3 inches for alternative daily cover (ADC) or shredded and recycled as specified by the bidder.

Supervisor Larry Townsend moved to approve the agreement, Supervisor (first name not specified in transcript) Mercari seconded. The motion passed with Townsend, Mercari and Supervisor Shucklin recorded as voting aye; Chair Vanderpool recorded a no vote; Supervisor Valero was absent. The contract term is listed in the RFP as Nov. 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2028.

The board approved the award on the grounds that the RFP returned prices below the prior $210-per-ton cost and that solid waste does not have the equipment or staffing to perform county loading. Staff said the program is expected to clear the backlog of on-site tires and handle increased intake from free-disposal policies previously approved by the board.