Cocoa council approves amended Waste Management franchise on first reading; company pledges local line and faster white‑goods pickup

The Cocoa City Council voted unanimously on first reading Sept. 9 to approve Ordinance O9-2025, an amended and restated solid waste franchise agreement between the City of Cocoa and Waste Management of Florida Inc., extending the contract term to Sept. 30, 2030, and tying annual service‑charge increases to the consumer price index for garbage and trash as provided in section 9‑37 of the City Code.

The ordinance, read into the record by the city attorney as part of a public hearing, also formalizes rates and administrative provisions for residential and commercial service within city limits. "This is all the information that was included in the last council meeting agenda item," city staff member Samantha Singer said, clarifying that some operational details remain to be finalized in customer materials.

Singer and Jordan Chandler, government affairs manager for Waste Management, described how the company will handle ‘‘bulk trash’’ and larger household appliances. Singer said bulky items such as couches and mattresses will be collected through routed pickups, but ‘‘large household appliances…are considered white goods’’ and are handled by a different truck and process. Chandler told the council Waste Management will flag white goods that cannot be removed during the regular bulky collection and send a separate truck to collect them the next day or within 48 hours.

Jordan Chandler, Government Affairs Manager, Waste Management of Florida: "We are meeting that particular requirement as outlined in the franchise agreement. There is a local number…it is routed at this particular point in time to a regional customer service center. The way that regional customer service center works is when you call in, they obviously get your address, and they route that call to somewhere here in Florida." Chandler added the company is training drivers on routes and expects routed service to reduce missed collections.

During the public comment period, resident Chris Iorio detailed repeated service failures, saying he had five missed pickups and a broken yard‑waste can over a six‑week span and gave specific missed‑pickup dates to the council. "I average a missed pickup roughly about every two to four months, but recently, things are getting out of control," Iorio said, and asked for refunds or replacement cans. Chandler responded that Waste Management is working with the district manager to educate drivers and that route‑based collection and the white‑goods follow‑up should reduce unserviced piles and missed tickets.

Mayor Mark C. Blake moved to approve staff recommendation; Deputy Mayor Weeks seconded. The motion passed unanimously with Mayor Blake, Deputy Mayor Weeks, Councilman Goins, Councilman Hearn and Councilmember Kos recorded as voting yes.

No additional fees, exact refund amounts, or implementation dates beyond the 48‑hour white‑goods commitment were specified in the meeting record. The ordinance was advanced on first reading; the council authorized the mayor, city manager and city attorney to execute documents necessary to implement the contract revision.

The council and Waste Management officials said they will prepare detailed customer materials — postcards, a dedicated web FAQ and scripts for customer service — to explain route‑based bulky trash service versus white‑goods recycling and pickup timetables. Waste Management said the local line required by the franchise is in place but currently routes calls to a Florida‑based regional center that will connect callers to local resources.

Council members and staff encouraged residents to use the official customer channels and to report missed service so the company and city can track recurring problems. The council did not adopt additional penalties or schedule a staff report at the meeting.

The item will return to the council as required by ordinance process for subsequent readings and final adoption procedures.