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4. RULES OF CONDUCT County Attorney Bill DeBraal stated today's workshop was an informal meeting and provided the rules on speaking, noting everyone will be given the opportunity to be heard. 5. STAFF / CONSULTANT PRESENTATION The Chairman turned the meeting over to Himanshu Mehta, Managing Director of the SWDD. In his PowerPoint Presentation called Solid Waste & Recyclables Collection Services Franchise (RFP#2024020), a copy of which is on file in the Office of the Clerk to the Board, Mr. Mehta stated the purpose of the workshop was to present the options being considered for garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk collection in the unincorporated area of the County, and to obtain public input. He indicated 87,000 postcards were sent out to the residents in the unincorporated area of the County that list the residential service options. He stated no Board decisions would be made at this workshop and that there would be no impact on Customer Convenience Centers, noting it was a separate contract. He informed the Board that the services would be effective as of October 1, 2025. Mr. Mehta continued with his PowerPoint Presentation and explained the difference between "subscription service" (the current service) and "universal service", noting all residents in the unincorporated area of Indian River County would be opted -in and the SWDD would collect the costs for these services through a non -ad valorem assessment. He mentioned there was an option for carted yard waste where residents would receive a 96 -gallon cart to place their yard waste with both "subscription" and "universal" services and an option to downsize to a smaller cart. For those with excessive bulk/yard waste, they could either purchase up to four additional carts per residence or utilize the on-call bulk pick-up. He pointed out the benefit of carted yard waste to the customer was a lower price as the haulers no longer would need additional workers on the back of the truck therefore reducing their costs, liability, and increasing efficiency. Mr. Mehta reviewed the RFP objectives and detailed a timeline of the process, noting a second public meeting would be held sometime in April and a third public meeting in either May or June to award the contract. He stated the County took all feedback to heart in regard to the current hauler from the last 10 years and looked at what could be improved upon when developing the RFP; this included benefits to the community, and supplemental services such as cart cleaning, additional carts, and excessive bulk/yard waste pickup. Bethany Jewell Gray, Consultant with Kessler Consulting, Inc., who assisted in the procurement process for collection services, discussed the industry impacts on the RFP such as the trend to automated collection (current system), labor shifts/shortages, manufacturing delays for equipment and replacement parts, and technology advancements. She mentioned some of the factors for the increase in the cost of services were labor wages and benefits, truck and equipment costs, fuel costs, and inflation. She displayed a comparison of rates among other communities and expressed caution when comparing the current County's very low and competitive rates to another community's rates due to the differences in the level of services provided and contract terms. She reiterated the Franchise Agreement for the unincorporated area of Indian River County was nearing the end of its 10 -year contract and advised there would be an increase in the cost for services. Solid Waste Disposal District Special Call Meeting Page 2 March 20, 2024