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Lauderdale Lakes commissioners hear Broward Solid Waste Authority proposal to centralize disposal and add drop-off sites
Summary
Broward Solid Waste Authority leaders outlined a facilities amendment that would shift funding from member contributions to a per-ton surcharge and create eight recycling drop-off locations, arguing the interlocal approach will stabilize long-term disposal costs and expand recycling and composting programs.
Broward Solid Waste Authority interim executive director Sam May told the Lauderdale Lakes commission that the county's fragmented disposal system leaves municipalities vulnerable to volatile market rates and limited capacity, and that a facilities amendment to the SWA interlocal agreement would give member cities a stronger negotiating position.
"We currently have a fragmented system... but this is the once in a lifetime opportunity for us to join hands," May said, describing the proposed authority as a way to secure long-term, stable contracts and investment by processors. He said the change targets the disposal side only; cities would retain control over curbside collection.
Consultant Daniel Deitch of SCS Engineers presented technical elements of the amendment and a master-plan approach that includes up to eight staffed recycling drop-off centers, new yard-waste and organics processing pathways, and a financial transition from per-city contributions to a per-ton surcharge and later a solid-waste assessment on property tax bills. "The part of the facilities amendment is to build 8 recycling drop off locations throughout the county," Deitch said, noting these would be small, staffed sites rather than large processing plants.
Under the proposal, SWA funding in early phases would follow a population-based approach consistent with existing practice; beginning in FY 2028 municipalities would see a tonnage surcharge starting at $2.22 per ton (rising with CPI toward $2.52 by FY 2030), and by FY 2031 the model anticipates a non-ad valorem assessment on tax bills. May said an average single-family home would likely see only a few dollars per year increase, but acknowledged the council's budget pressures.
Commissioners pressed on siting and operations for drop-off centers, petition and prioritization criteria for traffic-calming and other simultaneous projects, and protections if disposal rates rise. Deitch emphasized governance safeguards: an executive committee, technical review by the county tied to statutory responsibilities, and a wind-down framework that prescribes distribution of assets if the authority dissolves.
The presentation closed with staff offering to return with materials for a formal vote; commissioners requested additional detail on financial impacts and site selection before placing the amendment on a future agenda.
