Subject:
Title
Request permission for Fund 4010 (Solid Waste Operations) and potentially the general fund reserves to lend Fund 4110 (Solid Waste Collection) $2,307,000 and $1,800,000 respectively, for disaster debris recovery. This is the current estimate and projection as to cost.
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Fiscal Impact:
$2,307,000 TO $4,306,000 (may be reimbursed by FEMA)
Dept/Office:
Solid Waste Management Department
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners:
• Authorize the Solid Waste Management Department to lend $2,307,000 from the Solid Waste Operations Fund Capital Outlay Reserves as a short-term loan to the Solid Waste Collection Fund for debris recovery following Hurricane Milton, and;
• If needed to authorize the County Manager to similarly approve a loan from the general fund reserves, should the debris clean up cost shortfall exceed $2,307,000, and
• Authorize the County Manager to approve reasonable and appropriate Budget Change Requests associated with this action, and;
• Authorize the County Manager to approve reasonable and appropriate Budget Change Requests from the Reserves of the Solid Waste Collection Fund, and if necessary from the general fund reserves, and;
• Authorize the Solid Waste Management Department and County Manager to make similar short-term loans from Solid Waste and/or General Fund, and the County Manager to approve the associated Budget Change Requests for all future disaster responses where both the Governor of the State of Florida and the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners have declared a state of emergency.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number 24-214 on October 5, 2024, and Executive Order Number 24-215 on October 6, 2024, declaring a State of Emergency in numerous counties in the State of Florida, Including Brevard. On October 7, 2024, the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners declared a State of Local Emergency for all territory within the legal boundaries of Brevard County, including all unincorporated and incorporated areas through Emergency Proclamation Hurricane Milton 2024 - #1 as authorized by Florida Law. On October 9 and 10, 2024, Brevard County encountered hurricane conditions from Hurricane Milton and a threat continues to exist to the lives and property of the people of Brevard County due to damage caused by Hurricane Milton including excessive debris on public right of ways and private roads.
The Solid Waste Management Department is responsible for managing the contractors who recover and dispose disaster generated debris from public and private right of ways. The contractors are paid monthly from the Solid Waste Collections Fund, Fund 4110, and up to 87.5% of the costs are typically later reimbursed by FEMA to the State. After conducting a debris survey of Brevard County, it is estimated that the cost for debris recovery and disposal as a result of Hurricane Milton will total from $3,600,000 to $5,600,000. There is currently $1,293,420 available for debris cleanup in Reserves in Fund 4110. The Solid Waste Operating Fund, Fund 4010, currently has $2,849,225 available in Capital Reserve. Loaning the money from Fund 4010 to 4110 may ensure that there is sufficient funding to pay the estimated costs for disaster debris recovery, however if additional funds are required a loan from the general fund reserves will be needed.
To make the disaster recovery process more efficient, it is also requested that the Solid Waste Management Department and the County Manager be authorized to make such internal loans from Solid Waste operations and/or from the General Fund, and for the County Manager to approve the related Budget Change Requests for all future disaster responses where both the Governor of the State of Florida and the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners have declared a state of emergency.
Clerk to the Board Instructions: