County to negotiate 15‑year recycling processing contract with Waste Management after bidders’ best‑and‑final offers

The Board authorized staff to negotiate with Waste Management Inc. of Florida for a 15‑year contract to process and market collected single‑stream recycling materials, directing procurement to pursue final agreements with the highest‑ranked firm. Selection authorization followed a best‑and‑final offer (BAFO) process in which competing bidders revised pricing and revenue proposals.

Speakers from both firms addressed the board during public comment. Mike DeClerk, Florida director of recycling operations for Waste Management, told commissioners the company views the contract as a "generational opportunity" to invest in a modern regional recycling processing facility. Joaquin Mariel, chief commercial officer at Balcones Recycling, said his firm had previously been recommended by staff and urged the board to scrutinize a competitor’s large reduction in fixed processing fee, noting that "they reduced their original proposed fixed processing fee by more than 25% from a $103 per ton down to $75 per ton." Mariel warned that a very low fixed fee could be unsustainable for a long‑term contract that requires large capital investment.

Procurement staff said both proposals were reviewed under the RFP and BAFO terms; the board authorized negotiations rather than awarding a final contract today. Commissioners asked staff to ensure negotiated terms include safeguards against unsustainable pricing and to preserve county volume commitments for the selected vendor. The motion to authorize negotiations passed unanimously.

The contract is identified in the procurement as RFP number 24‑24791; staff will return with negotiated terms for final board approval. Vendors and the county emphasized that the county’s material volume is a critical factor supporting capital investment in any new processing facility and that county volumes will be prioritized at the facility, per vendor statements.