March 15, 1999
To:Works and Utilities Committee
From:Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
Subject:Provision of Litter Bins with Advertising
Purpose:
To respond to Council's request for a report to Works and Utilities Committee on the terms of
reference for a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of litter bins with advertising.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The provision of replacement litter bins with an advertising component, by the private sector,
would reduce or eliminate the cost to maintain, replace and clean existing City-owned bins
and could potentially generate revenue from the sale of advertising space. Once responses to
the RFP are received, we will be able to report on the financial implications of the various
proposals.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that this report be received for information.
Council Reference/Background/History:
At its meeting of February 2, 3 and 4, 1999, City Council approved the following
recommendations pertaining to litter bins:
"(1)that the Works and Emergency Services Department put out a Request for Proposals
(RFP) in early 1999 for the supply, installation, and maintenance (excluding emptying) of new
litter containers which include an advertising component to replace existing litter containers at
various locations within the road allowance in the City of Toronto;
(2)that no additional pilot programs be approved until the results of the above noted RFP
have been received;
(3)that when existing pilot programs terminate, the successful proponent(s) from the RFP in
recommendation no. (1) be required to provide litter containers in the pilot areas under the
same terms and conditions stipulated in the RFP;
(4)that the collection of waste from, and the maintenance of litter containers within the road
allowance be consolidated into the Solid Waste Management Services Division;
(5)that the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, in consultation with the
Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services, submit a report to the Urban
Environment and Development Committee with recommendations on a policy framework for
advertising on litter containers within the road allowance and on a consultation process with
Community Councils;
(6)all pilot projects in existence in Community Council areas be permitted to continue until
such time as the RFP process has been completed;
(7)no bins be installed in any area in a Ward until a favourable staff report is recommended
for adoption by City Council through the appropriate Community Council, after consultation
with local residents and businesses;
(8)Council adopt a policy, and all interested parties in the proposed RFP process be advised,
that no proposal will be accepted if the proponent has not been in full compliance with any
previous contracts or pilot projects with the City of Toronto or its predecessor municipalities;
(9)appropriate protocols regarding permitted advertising be developed by the Commissioner
of Works and Emergency Services, in consultation with the Chief Administrative Officer, and
incorporated into the RFP.
(10)local residents, businesses and associations be consulted regarding approval of
advertisements on litter containers and the placement of such containers on sidewalks; and
(11)notwithstanding any other recommendations in this Clause, a Business Improvement
Area (BIA) pilot project using OMG Media Inc. litter containers, be permitted on the Danforth
(by the Danforth by the Valley BIA and the Greektown on the Danforth BIA) for three years,
commencing in 1999."
Council further recommended "that the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be
requested to submit a report to the Works and Utilities Committee for its meeting scheduled to
be held on March 24, 1999, on the terms of reference for this RFP, such terms of reference to
include a provision whereby the City of Toronto is divided into geographical areas so that no
one company will have a monopoly position in the City".
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
The following are draft terms of reference which will form the basis of the RFP for the
provision of litter bins with advertising.
1.The City is interested in entering into agreements with proponents for the provision of
litter bins with an advertising component at various locations within the public road
allowances in the City of Toronto at no cost to the City.
2.The City will provide a listing of the litter bin locations under consideration and develop
geographic categories of locations. The City reserves the right to choose the locations at which
bins with advertising will be placed.
3.The successful proponent will be responsible for the supply, installation, cleaning,
maintenance and repairs of the litter bins and all associated costs. Bins must be kept clean and
free from posters and graffiti.
4.Toronto will retain responsibility for emptying the containers. As an option, respondents
will be required to submit a fee schedule for emptying the containers and recycling and
disposing of collected material.
5.Proponents are to specify the projected annual revenues in total and on a per bin basis
grouped by category of locations, to be payable to the City with such amounts subject to audit
by the City.
6.The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be broken down into separate contracts, by
Community Council Area. Whereas proponents are encouraged to bid on all contracts, the
City reserves the right to limit the number of bins to be provided by a proponent.
7.Respondents are to provide detailed specifications of the bins that they will be supplying
including type of material, dimensions, size of slots etc. Samples or prototypes of the bins are
preferred. The City will identify which bins will have single slots for litter and which bins
must have three slots for litter and recyclable materials, e.g., litter, paper and containers. The
bins must be fire, animal, dent and graffiti resistant.
8.The area of the bins that will contain the advertising must be clearly identified.
Respondents must also stipulate whether any advertising space on the bins will be made
available to Toronto at no cost for public service announcements.
9.All advertising shall be in accordance with the regulations and standards set by the
Advertising Council of Canada, will not include advertising of tobacco products and will be
free of vulgarity or indecent suggestions in the opinion of the Commissioner of Works and
Emergency Services. All advertising must also conform with the advertising protocol
currently being developed by the City under the Corporate Sponsorship Program.
10.The term of the contract will be five years, with an additional five year option.
11.The actual placement and orientation of the bins in the specified locations must be
approved by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, to ensure the safety of
pedestrians and the safe movement of vehicles.
12.The successful proponent will be required to provide an irrevocable letter of credit, from
a chartered bank or bonding company, or a certified cheque, in an amount to be determined
once the number of locations where the new litter bins will be placed is determined.
13.The successful proponent will be required to enter into a legal agreement with the City
based on terms and conditions acceptable to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency
Services. The agreement will contain conditions that provide flexibility in terms of adding
bins or changing locations, and will allow the City to request that some or all of the litter bins
be removed if the bins, advertising or servicing are deemed unsatisfactory by the
Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services.
14.Proponents are to provide an implementation plan for the design, manufacture,
installation and maintenance of the bins; a description of the company's projected costs and
advertising revenues associated with the project; a marketing plan outlining the sale of the
advertising; and a description of past experience in similar projects.
15.Proposals will be evaluated based on revenue to the City of Toronto, quality and
aesthetics of the bins, and operational considerations (e.g.-ease of emptying).
16.No proposal will be accepted if the proponent has not been in full compliance with any
previous contracts or pilot projects with the City of Toronto or its predecessor municipalities.
17.The City reserves the right to enter into negotiation with the preferred respondent(s). In
the event that the proposal does not entirely address the requirements of the City, or if the
City's requirements should change after the public consultation process, mutually agreeable
terms and conditions may be negotiated and included as a modification to the proposal.
Conclusions:
The draft terms of reference, which are subject to change once further information is available
(e.g. further information on the Corporate Sponsorship Program), will form the basis of an
RFP for the provision of litter bins with advertising. Discussions are underway with the
Finance Department as to whether issuing an RFP at this time for advertising on litter bins fits
in with the development of the Corporate Sponsorship Program recently approved by Council.
Contact Name:
Tim Michael
Manager - Waste Diversion
Solid Waste Management Services
Metro Hall
Phone: (416) 392-8506
Fax: (416) 392-4754
E-mail: Tim_Michael@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca
Angelos BacopoulosBarry H. Gutteridge
General ManagerCommissioner
Solid Waste Management ServicesWorks and Emergency Services