The council's stunning 7-4 vote Friday on the deal with dump operator Browning-Ferris Industries fell a single vote short of what was needed to approve the contract.

Under city rules, the item will return to the council for reconsideration Tuesday. With Councilman Dennis Zine who supported the deal gone next week, proponents would need to pick up two additional votes.

Councilman Greig Smith whose district includes part of the Granada Hills landfill and who oversaw the rejection of the deal with Browning-Ferris Industries said on Saturday that he was mapping his strategy.

"I talked this morning with the other three who voted with me to close the landfill and each one said they had no plans to change," Smith said.

Jan Perry, Janice Hahn and City Council President Alex Padilla voted with Smith against the deal.

Perry and Padilla could not be reached Saturday.

Hahn, who appeared on Friday to leave open the possibility that she could change her vote, said she regrets such indications and insisted Saturday that she remains opposed to using the landfill.

BFI, after saying Friday was the last day to act on their contract offer, extended the city deadline until Aug. 19.

"I am firmly against using it and the fact BFI wants to give us an extension and other firms are interested shows the company was playing chicken with us," Hahn said. "I think it's the city that has the upper hand in these negotiations. We shouldn't be afraid to stand up for what's right."

But council members Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti who were absent for Friday's vote will be there Tuesday and their votes remain uncertain.

Greuel could not be reached Saturday, though Smith said Greuel has told him she will oppose the contract extension.

Garcetti aides said Saturday he is not sure how he will vote.

"His heart is with the idea of not using the landfill and forcing the city to take steps to recycle," spokesman Josh Kamensky said. "But, he is aware of the financial impact not extending this contract will have."

Smith said he hopes to meet with Villaraigosa on Monday to discuss the issue and try to convince him to join in opposing the use of the landfill, as he had promised in his recent mayoral campaign.

Villaraigosa aides said the mayor who had sat next to Smith on the City Council would agree to meet with the councilman.

Villaraigosa, who had campaigned on closing the landfill only to reverse his position last week, reaffirmed his support for the deal Saturday.

"I think I've made my position pretty clear," he said. "This is about all we can do to make the tough and responsible choices to be financially prudent and to make this a trash-free city. My office will be talking to a number of the parties in an effort to resolve this matter."

City sanitation officials have estimated it will cost an extra $17 million a year if Sunshine Canyon is not used because the city would have to go to the spot market to get rid of the 4,000 tons of trash it generates daily.

Smith questioned those figures, saying he has been contacted by a number of waste disposal firms since the council voted not to extend the contract that said they will be able to come up with competitive offers.

Smith said he hopes to provide options to win over Villaraigosa and others.

"We do have some other things out there that we can consider," Smith said. "I hope once we lay that out, people will listen and see we don't need Sunshine Canyon."

But residents remained wary.

"We've heard it all before," said Wayde Hunter of the North Valley Coalition. "I'm worried there could be another switch."

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