Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Leonard Vialpando
Department: Public Works and Environmental Services
Division: Solid Waste & Recycling
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO DIRECT County Administrator to return without evaluation an Unsolicited Public Private Partnership Proposal from Filthy Organics, LLC, to lease, construct, and operate a composting facility on County-owned property located at 2780 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach. (Commission District 2)
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Why Action is Necessary
Responses to unsolicited proposals require action by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners (“Board”).
What Action Accomplishes
Provides for discussion and Board direction regarding the County Administrator’s recommendation to return without evaluation an unsolicited Public Private Partnership Proposal from Filthy Organics, LLC.
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Previous Action Taken
None taken.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE PUBLIC WORKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SERVICES RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
On December 3, 2025, Broward County Administration received an unsolicited proposal from Filthy Organics, LLC, (Filthy Organics) to lease, construct, and operate a composting facility on County-owned property located at 2780 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach (see Exhibit 1). Accompanying the proposal was the application fee of $10,000 required by Section 38.40 of the Broward County Administrative Code.
On December 4, 2025, Filthy Organics was notified that the Cone of Silence (pursuant to Broward County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 1-266) was imposed. Subsequently, on December 8, 2025, the County Administrator advised the Board by memo that County staff would review: 1) the vendor's qualifications and experience with projects of similar scale and setting and 2) the project's compatibility with regional infrastructure consistent with Section 255.065 of Florida Statutes, site characteristics, historical use, and the proposed use for the identified site location.
The proposed property is located at 2780 North Powerline Road in Pompano Beach. This County-owned property, operated by Solid Waste and Recycling Services (SWRS), known as the North Residential Drop-Off Center (NRDOC) accepts household hazardous waste, electronic waste, bulk and yard waste from residents of participating municipalities. The property is also used as a Temporary Debris Management Site. The site is 36-acres in total and historically housed a municipal waste incinerator from the 1960s until its closure in 1977. The incinerator was demolished in the mid-1990s with an ash mound remaining onsite. Filthy Organics is proposing to lease land atop of the remaining ash mound.
The ash mound is comprised of approximately 20 acres and is reported to be 30 feet high in some areas. A November 1991 Groundwater Monitoring Plan indicates that the unlined ash mound was never capped. Furthermore, there are no engineering design plans for a proposed cover. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) maintains strict landfill disturbance guidance, which presents both regulatory constraints as well as potential liabilities with respect to proposed use and activities. Staff estimates that composting operations, including the use of heavy equipment and mixing activities, atop an uncapped ash mound presents increased risk for mobilization of airborne particulates such as heavy metals, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fine ash, with the potential for on-site and off-site exposures.
In addition to regulatory and environmental concerns, Broward County's Water and Wastewater Services (WWS) plans to expand a thermal drying facility located immediately to the north of and adjacent to the NRDOC. The expansion of the WWS infrastructure will substantially encroach on the area proposed by the applicant for composting operations such that the scale of the proposed lease site cannot be comfortably accommodated.
SWRS is similarly in the process of building a new household hazardous waste campus at the NRDOC property. It has yet to be determined if the new building location or layout will interact with Filthy Organics' proposed site layout. The proximity of the proposed facility road to the existing SWRS facilities presents a concern for disturbance and interference with daily operations.
On January 22, 2026, the County Administrator advised the Board by memo of County staff’s recommendation (see Exhibit 2) that no further action should be taken on the unsolicited proposal, and that the proposer be notified of the decision to close the submission without advancement. The proposal does not demonstrate sufficient detail regarding compliance with the required environmental permits, buffer zones, odor and vector controls, stormwater management, or potential impacts on adjacent uses (including traffic management), or ensure that the former ash mound will support the weight of the compost operation and remain stable.
Based on discussions with County staff, the County Administrator’s recommendation is that the Filthy Organics unsolicited proposal be returned without evaluation and the $10,000 application fee returned.
Source of Additional Information
Notosha Austin, Director, Solid Waste and Recycling Services Division, (954) 474-1880.
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None. The $10,000 application fee submitted by Filthy Organics as part of their Unsolicited Proposal will be returned.