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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO COMPOSTING OPERATIONS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND TO PREPARE A REPORT TO THIS BOARD

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WHEREAS, composting is a practice that can transform organic waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments, and may reduce landfill usage and greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, composting has been widely recognized for its numerous benefits, including soil enrichment, reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers, and reduced methane emissions from landfills; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to explore the possibilities for greater composting in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, commercial composting operations, which could be County operations or private operations, may provide additional opportunities and alternatives for the management of solid waste, and also may address certain environmental and climate change concerns; and
WHEREAS, commercial composting operations, like other businesses and uses of property, are subject to various regulatory requirements, including but not limited to local land use, zoning, and environmental regulations, which address matters such as compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood and the prevention of soil and water contamination; and
WHEREAS, various regulations and obligations related to solid waste, including but not limited to, those regulations in chapter 15 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida (the �County Code�), may also be relevant; and
WHEREAS, this Board is committed to exploring solutions to the County�s solid waste issues through sustainable and innovative approaches that prioritize environmental conservation, and long-term resource management; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes for the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to make recommendations as to where and how composting operations may be most appropriate and under what circumstances and conditions, together with related recommendations for proposed regulatory changes to facilitate such composting; and
WHEREAS, as part of the review and recommendations by the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee, the administration may wish to consider the experiences and insights of other local and state governmental entities in Florida or elsewhere in the United States; and
WHEREAS, these recommendations will include changes to our County Code as well as new policies to be implemented; and
WHEREAS, the goal of such recommendations should be to facilitate composting in a manner that is in the best interests of Miami-Dade County, its residents, and the environment,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. This Board hereby directs the County Mayor or County�s Mayor designee to provide recommendations as to where and how composting operations may be most appropriate and under what circumstances and conditions, together with related recommendations for proposed regulatory changes to facilitate such composting. The recommendations shall consider what changes to the County Code, implementing orders, County policies, or other sources of law or policy are required for such purpose. For such recommendations, the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee should consider, as appropriate, the experiences and insights of other local and state governmental entities in Florida or elsewhere in the United States.
Section 2. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall prepare a written report as to the matters in section 1, and within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution, shall place the completed report on an agenda of the full Board without committee review pursuant to rule 5.06(j) of the Board's Rules of Procedure.