How does the Authority differ from the RRB?
Unlike the RRB, every ILA member has a “seat at the table” and vote by participating in the Governing Board (which is comprised of 28 municipal members and one county representative).
The Executive Committee is primarily comprised of municipal members, holding 10 of the 11 seats. As a result, the budget and major decisions are made by all the ILA members, rather than being controlled exclusively by the County (as was the case with the RRB).
How will Authority governance and voting influence appropriately reflect population, tonnage, and financial contribution?
- On the Governing Board, every ILA member has a “seat at the table” and a vote.
- Certain actions require population-based approval thresholds (in addition to majority approvals).
- On the Executive Committee, larger municipalities have more seats.
- This governance structure was the model agreed upon by the ILA members to take into consideration impact
Will the Authority control collection or have collection requirements?
No. ILA members will retain full control over collection just as they do today.
Will collection costs increase when new programs are rolled out to divert yard waste and food waste?
- If we don’t divert our valuable waste, the cost to manage our waste will increase as disposal options dwindle. The market will do what it does – maximize pricing when we do not have negotiating strength and options.
- Together, we can keep costs as low as possible while leaving collection decisions to each ILA member.
A goal is to offset any fluctuations in collection costs with lower processing and disposal rates for ILA members. With changes in behavior and diversion of waste streams, as businesses have shown, collection and hauling costs can be offset or even decrease when considering beneficial financial recovery from diverted waste resources.
Can my city negotiate a better processing and disposal rate on its own?
History teaches us that, over the long term, you cannot. By combining tonnage from the ILA members (estimated at four million tons), the Authority can negotiate lower pricing, better contract terms, and price stability over the long term for all members. In addition, the Authority will obtain “most favored nation” benefits for ILA members through the economic strength gained by combining our tonnage and bargaining power.
Can the Authority suddenly raise the maximum processing and disposal rates?
No, as detailed in the Facilities Amendment, this would require a two-thirds majority vote of the Governing Board members based on population and the County.
Can the Authority suddenly raise the per ton surcharge over the maximum amount set forth in the Master Plan?
- No, this would also require a two-thirds majority vote of the Governing Board members based on population and the County.
- The surcharge and assessments have been calculated for the next 20 years.
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- FY 28 to FY30: Surcharge Fee $2.22 to $2.52/ton
- FY 31 to FY 46: Non-Ad Valorem Assessment $2.72 to $3.85/ton
- Over time the Authority will build capital reserves.
Can ILA members opt out of the Authority, or can non-ILA members opt in?
Yes, to both.
- If approved by all current ILA members, the Second Amendment to the ILA will allow existing members to opt out (for any reason) in 2027 after the Request for Proposals (RFP) responses from disposal and processing facilities have been received and the contract awards have been recommended. The Second Amendment also allows cities to opt out for any reason in 2048.
- Non-ILA members will be allowed to join the Authority; the Governing Board will determine the process.
What new infrastructure will the Authority build from FY 2028 to FY 2033?
Eight new drop-off centers to collect recyclables, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), and other hard to dispose of items such as tires. The Master Plan does not include building a new landfill or waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, and it is expressly prohibited under the Facility Amendment unless there is approval by nearly all parties (representing 80% of the population).
The Master Plan specifically focuses on taking advantage of the extensive existing infrastructure for processing and disposal. However, if the private market doesn’t generate the infrastructure to meet our needs beyond 2033, the Governing Board may consider, in the future, using capital reserves to develop additional facilities.
What happens if the capital reserves do not cover the cost to build the new facilities?
The Governing Board, comprised of all ILA members, will decide what facilities are needed and how to fund them.
What is the financial impact of the per ton surcharge on residents?
Approximately $3 per year.
What is the financial impact of the per ton surcharge on businesses/commercial?
Like residents, there will be a small financial impact from the minimal per ton surcharge.
Will the Authority’s ILA members have non-exclusive commercial collection?
The Authority will not interfere with collection agreements or how those are structured within ILA member municipalities. ILA members will retain full control over collection just as they do today.
Will the Authority create uncertainty for condominium classifications and condominium service rules?
ILA members will retain full control over collection just as they do today.
Even with the Authority, won’t the landfill and WTE facility be used?
The goal of the Master Plan is to divert as much of our valuable waste from the landfill and WTE facility as possible. This will conserve space and capacity for only nonrecoverable items/waste that has no value.
How long will it take for the Authority to implement flow control?
Flow control will be initiated once the Facilities Amendment is approved. However, it will likely take several years through a phased process to align all ILA members. As each ILA member’s collection contract expires or comes up for renegotiation, the Authority will work with the member to designate its processing and disposal locations.
How will the Authority measure and track success?
Performance will be measured against clear benchmarks, including cost savings for processing and disposal, recycling rates, contamination rates, pricing at or below maximum service charge thresholds, and increased recovery of targeted material streams such as C&D debris, yard trash, commercial recyclables, and (eventually) food waste.
Is it true that China isn’t buying recyclables so there is no commodities market for them?
The U.S. recycling system used to be more reliant on the Chinese export market but that is no longer the case. Private industry locally and across the U.S. has invested in significant processing infrastructure. As a result, the commodities market for recyclables has increased. Here in Broward County, WM’s new recycling facility in Pembroke Pines has 150 commodity sales professionals who market baled recyclables to markets predominantly in the U.S.
Although the major MRF operators still utilize some international markets, overall, the domestic consumption and demand for recyclables have increased and the international market has become more diverse. Additionally, given our location within the U.S., many recyclable materials have strong end markets in the southeast including in Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama. Also, nearly all recovered metals are consumed domestically.
Cities can just send their own recycling to the new facility in Pembroke Pines, why should they stay in the Authority?
While non-participating cities can certainly designate where their recycling is destined, by pooling all the ILA member recycling tonnage together, along with “most favored nation” provisions, all ILA members will receive the lowest and best processing fee per ton.
Standardizing the recycling rules among the ILA members will make recycling more effective and achieve better results as we work together to conserve landfill and WTE capacity. Additionally, a uniform system will help decrease overall contract management expenses over the long term.
Are the eight new recycling/HHW drop-off centers proposed in the Master Plan projected to be successful?
HHW and recycling drop-off centers are widely used across Florida and have strong participation in many communities. Right here in Broward County, communities such as Coconut Creek and Coral Springs have been successful with drop-off programs. Additionally, drop-off centers are needed to provide access to multi-family properties. HHW is most cost effectively collected via drop-off centers due to the need to have more specialized storage and handling requirements for chemicals, lead-acid and lithium batteries, pesticides, etc.
Is it possible to achieve the state’s 75% recycling goal?
Yes! Here in Florida, Collier, Lee, and Palm Beach Counties all have recycling rates greater than the state’s 75% goal with eight other counties in the mid 60’s. If these counties can do it, so can we.