City should end contract with WM and admit it was wrong

Mayor Miller's letter failed to hit the nail on the head in explaining his deal with Waste Management Inc. What is wrong with saying, "Oops, we made a mistake"?

The Simi Valley City Council entered into a contract with Waste Management Inc., owner of both the Simi Valley landfill and GI Rubbish, the local trash hauler. The contract agreement obligates the city to fully support Waste Management's effort to obtain any and all approvals needed for expansions of the landfill, and it further demands that the city encourage its waste haulers to provide such support.

You don't have to be a Harvard attorney to read the provision and understand what it means.

The city manager and mayor have stated that the provision only applies to a previous landfill expansion years ago. While I suppose the agreement could have been written for this onetime purpose, the plurality of the word "expansions" makes me think it applies to all other proposed expansions. After all, the contract is good until 2034, and that's a long time off.

The city manager and the mayor have stated that the real meaning of the agreement can be cleared up with a letter from a public relations employee of Waste Management or from an old city report.

While neither of these documents is known to exist, they are not legally binding. The signed contract clearly states that it is a stand-alone document and that it can't be modified, altered, changed or amended in any way unless in writing and signed by Waste and the city. This provision is so significant that it is reproduced verbatim in another section of the contract.

I believe the majority of the City Council may not have understood the meaning of the agreement, and consequently they should amend the contract so that it more closely reflects their desires.

Better yet, the city should exercise its right to terminate the agreement as to better protect the citizens of Simi Valley from potential legal challenges. If the contract is so vague that it requires lengthy explanation from attorneys, it will not stand the test of time until 2034 to the benefit of our residents. The contract must go.

There is no harm in saying, "Oops, we made a mistake." Councilmember Williamson has done so already.

For the protection of the city, its future revenues, fiscal reserves, police and fire protection to its residents, the city should fix the contract. With the documented criminal history of Waste Management, wouldn't you want your elected officials to be extra careful when dealing with this organization? Louis J. Pandolfi Member, Landfill Expansion Task Force Simi Valley