The Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Authority (BAVISMA) presented and the council accepted the authority's FY2026 budget, which keeps the city's municipal gate rate at $0 while raising third-party gate rates to $32 per ton.
Juan Espinosa, BAVISMA office manager, said the authority's FY2026 revenue is proposed at $13.4 million, operating expenses at $9.8 million and capital at $4.6 million. Major capital items include heavy equipment replacement, roadway improvements at the Twin Oaks landfill, landfill expansion permitting and debt service. Espinosa said the city rate will remain $0 but the authority expects a net negative of about $1.63 per ton for the cities to cover certain fees (TCEQ, host county fees); collectively that cost will be roughly $230,000 for the two owner cities.
Deputy Director Samantha Best described waste-to-energy and renewable natural gas (RNG) activities at the Twin Oaks site and said the co-located RNG plant has produced meaningful revenue and emissions offsets. Best also described ongoing permitting, geotechnical work and environmental surveys tied to a proposed landfill expansion that could add roughly 45 years of capacity; she said the major permit amendment for expansion could be submitted as early as spring 2027 and, absent contested hearings or public comment delays, could be permitted as soon as spring 2028.
Council members praised the authority's operations and asked about the budget's conservative gas royalty assumptions. Staff said the authority is taking a conservative approach to renewable-gas royalty projections because of uncertainty in renewable-energy credits and policy. Council voted to accept the FY2026 BAVISMA budget during the workshop; the motion passed unanimously.