15.B.5.
Recommendation for Franchise Award for Solid Waste and Recyclables Collection
Services (RFP#2024020)
Recommended Action:
Upon public input and SWDD Board discussion, SWDD staff recommends the
Board consider and approve the following: 1. SWDD staff recommends Universal
Collection for Unincorporated Indian River County with multi-family collection
remaining as commercial collection services. Board Decision: Subscription Service
or Universal Collection?; and; 2. SWDD staff recommends the award of the Solid
Waste and Recycling Collection Franchise to Waste Management, Inc. of Florida as
the proposer ranked in the top two and that has subsequently submitted the lowest
best and final offer for RFP#2024020.; and; 3. Authorize staff to finalize the sample
agreement, negotiate as necessary for both legal and technical sufficiency, and to
return with a final agreement for SWDD Board approval at a future meeting.
Solid Waste Disposal District (SWDD) Director Himanshu Mehta began his
presentation with a recap of the events leading to staff's recommendation for franchise
award of the County's solid waste and recyclables collection service. Previously, the
SWDD Board voted in favor of carted yard waste, and directed staff to obtain a Best
and Final Offer (BAFO) for universal and subscription services from the top two
ranked vendors: FCC Environmental Services of Florida, Inc. (FCC), and Waste
Management, Inc. of Florida (WM).
Before presenting the final offers, Director Mehta reviewed results of an audit of
recycling cart use. The results showed a large percentage of non-subscribers using
their recycling carts for garbage versus few households in universal service
municipalities doing the same. He detailed the County's commitment to recycling and
discussed reasons for supporting it.
The presentation next detailed the procurement process and then the BAFO process
and evaluation criteria for subscription and universal services (Options 3 & 4).
Summarizing the bids, Director Mehta noted FCC predominantly lowered their price
on commercial services and WM lowered their price on residential services, which
resulted in a re-ranking of the vendors. Current residential subscription service with
recycling was $14.10 per month. The final bids for residential subscription service
with carted yard waste were $25.36 (FCC) and $18.65 (WM); final bids for
residential universal service with carted yard waste was $22.84 (FCC) and $18.60
(WM). Multifamily complexes would remain on commercial service as the cost for
universal service was prohibitively high.
Staff's analysis of the options and final bids led to the recommendation of Option 4,
universal service with carted yard waste. Rationale included annual costs savings,
uniform service, cleaner recycling, and less illegal dumping and burning of garbage.
Director Mehta made mention of exploring the use of existing County assistance
