Solid Waste director outlines multi-bond plan to expand landfill capacity and modernize transfer stations

Brevard County’s Solid Waste director presented a detailed update on March 27 about facility projects, a phased bond financing plan and collection-contract timing as the county seeks to preserve disposal capacity and modernize aging facilities.

Director Tom Mulligan told the board the department operates five solid-waste facilities including the Central Disposal Facility (the county’s only Class I landfill), two transfer stations and a class III landfill. He said construction is underway at a US 192 site (phase 1 earthwork funded by the 2023 bond) and a new Titusville transfer station is under construction to replace a 48-year-old facility. Mulligan said the Sarno Road Class III landfill is nearing capacity and the Central Disposal Facility’s Cells 1 and 2 reach capacity in mid-to-late 2028 without Cell 3.

Mulligan outlined a capital timetable that relies on a sequence of public financings: a bond in fiscal 2025 (approx. $32.8 million), then additional bonds in 2027 and 2029 (roughly $31.0M and $43.2M respectively, per the department’s engineering report), and noted $53.9 million in bonds sold in 2023 that funded work already underway. He said Cell 3 construction documents are nearly complete and estimated Cell 3 construction at about $45 million; final costs depend on construction-market inflation.

On collection, Mulligan highlighted that the current residential collection franchise contract with Waste Management runs through Sept. 30, 2027. He said the county should have a replacement contract in place by Oct. 1, 2026 so a new vendor will have a transition year if needed. He also reminded commissioners of a rate increase that accompanied the current contract (a 39% increase when that contract began) and said the county is considering incremental collection assessment increases and a reserve for disaster debris response because recent storms have required large outlays to contract debris removal.

Mulligan noted revenue and expense pressures: the disposal assessment historically fell behind inflation and the department has previously borrowed between funds and used commercial paper; he said capital reserves were depleted in 2022 and the county used commercial-paper borrowing and the 2023 bond sale to proceed with projects. He said equipment and compactor prices have roughly doubled over the last eight years and that operation and recruitment for labor-intensive roles remain ongoing challenges.

Commissioners asked about the possibility of privatizing disposal operations and Mulligan said he was not aware of a county that shifted an existing publicly owned landfill to fully private operation; he warned privatization could place profit and rate-setting outside the board’s control. He also discussed pilot improvements such as e-pass/wizard lane credentialing to speed commercial/regular users through scale houses.

No new board appropriation was requested during the presentation; Mulligan said the department would return with bond-authority requests and additional budget items for future board consideration.