Solid Waste Financial Modeling Forecasting and Advisory Services

The vendor is required to provide a comprehensive financial planning framework for the county’s solid waste system that ensures long-term fiscal sustainability, supports strategic decision-making, and promotes transparency and equity in rate-setting.
- This includes the development of a dynamic rate model, detailed financial forecasting, capital funding analysis, and ongoing financial consultation to address evolving operational, regulatory, and market conditions.
- Services include:
1. Enhance financial resilience
• Equip the county with robust financial planning tools and strategies that support long-term operational and capital needs.
2. Improve rate-setting transparency and equity
• Develop rate structures and forecasting tools that reflect actual system costs, promote fairness across customer classes, and are easily understood by stakeholders.
3. Ensure long-term fiscal sustainability for ratepayers
• Promote stable, predictable rates through responsible financial planning, long-term cost management, and alignment of revenues with system needs— minimizing rate volatility and financial burden on customers.
4. Support strategic decision-making
• Provide accurate, data-driven financial forecasts and scenario analyses to inform policy, capital planning, and budgeting decisions.
5. Maintain regulatory and environmental compliance
• Identify and plan for long-term obligations such as landfill closure, post closure care, and other compliance-related expenses.
6. Foster operational efficiency and benchmarking
• Use comparative analysis to identify opportunities for performance improvement, cost optimization, and enhanced service delivery.
- Comparative benchmarking analysis against peer jurisdictions, guidance on optimal funding strategies, and ongoing consultation to ensure internal staff can effectively maintain and utilize the rate model.
- The consulting firm must provide scenario planning support and be available on an as-needed basis following the initial project phase.
- This support is essential to ensure the financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and regulatory compliance of the system over the near and long term.
- This effort is critical to maintaining financial transparency, stabilizing rates for ratepayers, and ensuring that the county can responsibly plan for future capital and operational needs in an evolving regulatory and market environment.
- Develop a dynamic rate model
• Create a user-friendly, flexible tool that incorporates forecasting, cost analysis, rate design, and scenario testing.
- Deliver a six-year financial forecast
• Provide a detailed financial outlook, including revenue and expense projections, cash flows, and capital funding aligned with the solid waste capital improvement program.
- Analyze long-term financial obligations
• Identify future funding requirements for capital infrastructure, environmental compliance, and lifecycle equipment costs, and recommend appropriate funding mechanisms.
- Ensure long-term fiscal sustainability for ratepayers
• Develop rate strategies and financial policies that promote rate stability, manage cost escalation, and maintain affordability while meeting the full financial requirements of the system.
- Prepare a 10-year strategic financial plan
• Offer a long-term financial outlook to assess risk factors, market uncertainties, and potential policy impacts on system sustainability.
- Conduct benchmarking and comparative review
• Evaluate county rates and services against peer agencies to identify areas for improvement and validate current performance levels.
- Facilitate scenario planning and staff training
• Support county staff with guided scenario analysis and provide training to ensure independent use of the rate model.
- Provide ongoing financial support
• Offer as-needed consultation for updates to the rate model, budgeting support, and responses to emerging financial challenges.
- Contract Period/Term: 6 years
- Optional Pre-Submission Conference Date: July 14, 2025