The Town Commission of the Town of Pembroke Park on Nov. 20 approved Resolution 2025-076, authorizing a fourth amendment to the exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Management of Florida, Inc. The amendment extends residential and commercial solid-waste services and adds curbside recycling pickup to Waste Management's responsibilities at no annual cost to the town.

Town Attorney Trevor Horwitz introduced the resolution as an amendment to the existing contract and said the town will go out to competitive bidding after this extension ends. Commissioner Chandler Hodgkins and a consultant, Charles Jordan, described a recent review and a facility tour that led them to recommend an extension to preserve favorable rates.

Jordan told the commission that the consultant team concluded the current contractor's rates were competitive and that new recycling technologies the commission explored were not yet ready for broad deployment. Hodgkins said the town currently operates recycling collection with two public-works employees at an estimated annual cost of about $75,000; under the amendment Waste Management will absorb that service, saving the town the $75,000 operating expense and freeing public-works staff for other duties.

The amendment retains the contract's CPI-based price adjustments and includes a modest increase to roll-off pricing (discussed in the meeting as roughly an 8.7% adjustment), which staff said affects roughly 18'20 roll-off customers in the town. Commissioners discussed timing for approval to avoid lapses near December quorum challenges and confirmed the consultant and Waste Management representatives were available for questions.

Waste Management representative Andres Jimenez Cruz invited commissioners to tour the new WM facility, and the company confirmed the new recycling pickup would be operational under the amended contract.

The motion to approve Resolution 2025-076 passed by roll call: Vice Mayor Kashem, Acting Clerk Commissioner Morrissette, Mayor Jacobs, Clerk Commissioner Hodgkins, and Commissioner Mohammed voted Yes. The vote authorizes the fourth amendment as presented and begins the town's preparations to solicit bids at the end of the extended term.

Why it matters: The change shifts an ongoing operational cost and responsibility for recycling from the town to its exclusive franchisee and preserves current pricing structures for the near term. The commission said it will solicit competitive bids only after this final amendment expires.