City of Miramar Special Workshop on Solid Waste Municipal Delegates' Meeting Discussion

A special workshop was held on October 12, 2022, at 4:00 PM in the Commission Chambers to discuss the draft Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for the formation of a Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling Processing Authority in Broward County. City staff presented the draft ILA, which was developed by the Solid Waste Working Group, and sought commission feedback and authorization to submit comments before the October 14, 2022 deadline. The discussion focused on key provisions, Broward County's concerns, facility locations, recycling challenges, and funding obligations.

Presentation Overview

• Ralph Trapani, Solid Waste and Recycling Manager, presented the background and timeline of the effort, which began after the Resource Recovery Board closure in 2013 and subsequent settlement. The city participated in a 2019 MOU exploring a comprehensive system, and in 2021 supported a governance structure via an interlocal agreement. In 2022, the city paid $38,983 for a waste generation and composition study.
• The draft ILA requires 75% of Broward County's municipalities plus the county to participate, has an initial 40-year term with two 10-year renewals, and will require a master plan and facilities amendment (expected 12–36 months after ILA execution). Parties may withdraw if they don't adopt the master plan.
• Flow control (economic and regulatory) is included to ensure revenue. The governing board would consist of one elected official from each participating municipality, with an executive board of 11 members (10 from cities by size, one from the county).
• Broward County is hesitant to allow the authority to own/operate its own disposal facility due to statutory responsibility and concerns about financial risk if the authority fails. The county prefers to discuss this further during master plan development.

Discussion Items

• Commissioner Barnes questioned how the authority can ensure disposal capacity without a facility under its control or without being at the mercy of the market. He noted that only two possible sites exist (the current Wheelabrator facility and the Broward County landfill) and that no location discussions have occurred. He expressed concern that the lack of site discussions could undermine the agreement.
• Commissioner Chambers raised concerns about facility location driving costs for cities, and the need for a western facility to reduce travel times and wait times. He also discussed recycling challenges, including contamination from plastic bags and holiday lights, the collapse of recycling markets since 2017, and the importance of public education. He emphasized that recycling must be done correctly to be effective.
• Vice Mayor Colbourne requested clarification on the funding obligation, asking for an estimate of the city's financial commitment and duration. Staff noted that an estimated $2 million per year for at least 36 months is a high-level figure, with the city's share determined by county participation. She also asked about the impact on current operations; staff responded that operations would likely improve if a western facility were built.
• Commissioner Davis asked about coordination among city attorneys. The City Attorney confirmed that all city attorneys have met and are sharing similar comments, ensuring Miramar's interests are represented.
• Commissioner Chambers raised the inclusion of wastewater treatment residuals (biosolids, screens, grit) in the ILA, as they are currently disposed of outside the county. The Utilities Director confirmed that a separate municipal effort is underway to study in-county disposal options, and noted that new regulations may restrict current land application practices.
• Mayor Messam recommended that the city's comments include a request for preliminary discussions on disposal sites, arguing that the location will significantly impact operations and the final agreement. He noted that Broward County has very few permittable sites and that location choices will affect costs and logistics.

Key Outcomes

• The commission did not vote on the draft ILA, as the workshop was for discussion and feedback only.
• Staff will draft a resolution authorizing the submission of the city's comments to the Solid Waste Working Group by the October 14 deadline.
• Comments will include: inclusion of wastewater treatment residuals, requests for cost estimates and funding obligation details, a request for preliminary site location discussions, and other legal and operational clarifications from the City Attorney.
• The next steps involve the working group incorporating comments from all 31 municipalities and producing a revised draft ILA, which will be brought back to the commission for further consideration.