Cape Council to look at city’s solid waste services contract
Extension with Waste Pro; going out for new proposals on the table with higher rates likely with either option
Cape Coral City Council will look at two options for solid waste collection Wednesday – an early extension of Waste Pro’s contract for five additional years or going out for requests for proposal which would open the door to other providers.
Either way, higher rates are likely.
According to the presentation, Waste Pro is not interested in extending until October 2027 under the current terms of the contract. The early extension would be effective Oct. 1, 2025, with one five-year extension until Sept. 30, 2035. Residential rates would increase either 72% or 94% and commercial rates would increase either 29.6% or 62.7%.
Resident issues and concerns with Waste Pro have included missed pickups, not collecting all the compliant trash/recyclables, months to deliver or repair totes, improper handling of totes, spill response, slow resolution response and not tagine non-compliant bulk and horticulture.
In FY 2010 curbside collection was awarded to Waste Pro for 59,414 households. In June 2010 a seven-year extension was given. That extension expires Sept. 30, 2027.
Extension negotiation meetings were held with Waste Pro to discuss service quality improvements, increased accountability, increased transparency, and proposed rates.
The presentation will go over the service and what is currently being done and what was negotiated concerning handling requests for action and missed pickups to failure to deliver/repair/replace a tote.
According to staff, Cape Coral has a robust solid waste collection service one time a week without limits for waste, recycling, bulk, horticulture, and white goods – one of the lowest contracted rates in Florida.
In 2022 the average monthly rate for collection was $25.26 In Cape Coral for FY22 the rate equated to $12.06. For the current fiscal year, FY25, the rate equates to $13.72 per month.
As proposed, the rare would jump 94% in two years early beginning in FY2026 with an extension with Waste Pro and the current rate would continue to increase by annual CPI through FY2027 by 3-4%.
If a new solid waste collection RFP is issued, the new service start date would be Oct. 1, 2027, with estimated new rates between $25 to $30 a home per month.
“Lee County amended its Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Franchise Agreement with Waste Pro in Area 4 June 2022, the presentation states. “The key outcomes of the negotiation included improving the efficiency and clarity of waste and recycling collection services in the area. The rate went from $13.31 in FY22 to $21.45 in FY23 (61% increase) to cover operating costs. The current FY25 rate is $24.59.”
The presentation concludes with two options – issue an RFP for a new contract beginning FY2028 if cost is the principal. This would retain the current rates for the last two years of the contract.
The second option would be accepting Waste Pro’s extension in an amendment and agree to buy-up the contract enhancements if service improvements are the principal concern.
The workshop will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday Feb. 26, in City Council chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd. The meeting is open to the public.