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County repeals and replaces solid‑waste ordinance and outlines franchise process for proposed C&D facility
Summary
Lee County repealed its Chapter 22 solid‑waste ordinance and adopted an updated code that clarifies convenience‑center rules, makes recycling encouraged rather than mandatory, and establishes a franchise application and public‑hearing process for sanitary landfills; staff said a Liberty Waste Solutions franchise application is expected and that the franchise ordinance will require a 30‑day public notice and hearings.
Lee County commissioners on Sept. 15 repealed the existing Chapter 22 solid‑waste ordinance and adopted a substantially revised version intended to modernize facility rules and to create a formal franchise and application process for any solid‑waste disposal site, including sanitary landfills. The ordinance update includes clarified convenience‑center provisions, a change to make recycling encouraged (rather than mandatory), requirements that waste transported to county facilities be secured to prevent spillage, and an explicit rule that franchise approval is required for any landfill.
County staff said they drafted a franchise application form to accommodate a pending request from Liberty Waste Solutions, which has proposed a construction‑and‑demolition recycling and C&D landfill (not municipal solid waste) on a heavy‑industrial parcel. Staff outlined the franchise application requirements that must later be published with 30 days’ notice before a public hearing, including owner information, geographic service area, projected waste volumes and characteristics, proposed tipping and host fees, environmental controls, proposed useful life and capacity in tons, and the complete facility plan. The application must be placed on file at a local library for public review.
The board voted to repeal the current ordinance in its entirety and replace it with the updated Chapter 22 effective Sept. 15, 2025. Commissioners noted that adopting the ordinance is the first step; any franchise for a sanitary landfill requires a separate application, 30‑day published notice and a public hearing, plus subsequent ordinance readings and a contract. Staff said they will aim to have a franchise public hearing in October if the applicant provides all requested materials on a tight timeline; otherwise the schedule will shift to meet the statutory notice period.
Separately, project proponents described plans for a recycling‑forward operation that would accept construction and demolition debris, crush and sell concrete and brick as aggregate, and ultimately aim to transfer the property for public green space after closure (the company estimated a 15–18 year operating horizon). Staff and company representatives emphasized the facility would not accept household municipal solid waste and would pursue all required state permits and environmental controls.
