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Board of Commissioners SWDD Meeting Minutes - Final January 9, 2024 <br />Attorney Jackman suggested postponing the discussion until the January 23, <br />2024, BCC meeting, as there were concerns regarding the contract's legal <br />sufficiency. The County's gross receipts appeared to cover NED's consumables, <br />taxes, and operational costs, creating ambiguity. The contract should reflect this if <br />the County intended to cover these costs. <br />Chairman Adams expressed frustration with this ongoing project that began in <br />2019, which incurred numerous costs and several improvements at the county <br />landfill. The leachate issue was addressed by installing a landfill evaporator to <br />access the landfill gas. The plan was to convert the landfill gas into electricity, but <br />the County decided on the pipeline instead, which led to the leachate issue. She <br />stated the Florida City Gas commissioner had used this potential project to get a <br />gas line extension to the beach, but getting the necessary agreements had been a <br />challenge. All amendments, including Amendment Three, had been approved, and <br />additional language was added as requested by the County. However, new <br />attorneys had interpreted the Amendments differently, delaying the project's final <br />phase. An extension of the contract for this project was needed to secure funding. <br />Chairman Adams was concerned that the time between now and the January <br />23rd meeting was not enough time to vet everything. Amendment No. 4 was <br />presented as a simple extension to acquire funding. Delaying it would require <br />budget input, vetting on different market conditions, and comparing contracts from <br />Jacksonville and Indian River County. She stated even if the County Attorney's <br />office and all the other staff focused solely on this, it would still take longer than <br />the funding deadline. If there was no funding, the project would not happen. <br />Chairman Adams was glad to see progress in the willingness to have <br />conversations on both sides but worried that there would be nothing to discuss if <br />the decision was delayed. <br />A lengthy discussion ensued about whether the Attorney's office and <br />representatives from NED could renegotiate the contract language before the <br />BCC Meeting on January 23, 2024. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Moss, seconded by Commissioner <br />Loar, to postpone the vote until the January 23, 2024 regular meeting, to <br />allow for requested changes to the language in the existing contract. The <br />motion carried by the following vote: <br />Aye: 3 - Vice Chairman Flescher, Commissioner Moss, and Commissioner Loar <br />Nay: 2 - Chairman Adams, and Commissioner Earman <br />Indian River County Florida Page 3 <br />