Waste collection operations across Seminole County experienced increasing diversion away from the county’s centrally located transfer station (CTS) toward a secondary landfill facility, creating significant operational inefficiencies over multiple years. A historical reimbursement request had previously estimated approximately $3M in diversion-related impact but lacked verifiable supporting detail. I rebuilt the analysis from the ground up using six years of operational disposal data, validated historical trends, quantified the true operational impact, and developed a strategic recommendation that repositioned the conversation from short-term reimbursement toward long-term infrastructure partnership and operational optimization.
Seminole County operates two primary disposal facilities: a centrally located transfer station (CTS), and a secondary landfill facility in Geneva. Historically, the majority of municipal loads were processed through CTS due to its geographic efficiency. Operational analysis revealed: CTS utilization had historically averaged roughly 90% of loads, while Geneva represented approximately 10%. Over time, recurring diversion directives increasingly redirected trucks to Geneva due to: facility congestion, staffing limitations, floor reconstruction activity, and broader capacity constraints. By 2024, load distribution had shifted toward an almost 50/50 split between facilities, significantly increasing: route inefficiency, fuel expense, driver time, and operational friction. At stake: operational cost exposure, municipal contract stability, and long-term service efficiency across Seminole County.
I was tasked with rebuilding and validating the operational and financial analysis supporting the county diversion claim. Responsibilities included: consolidating six years of disposal activity, validating historical diversion assumptions, designing a scalable reconciliation structure, quantifying operational impact, and developing executive presentation materials for senior leadership and municipal discussions. The original request focused only on a narrow time period in late 2023. I expanded the scope to evaluate long-term operational patterns across multiple years, allowing leadership to identify: persistent diversion trends, temporary operational recovery periods, and the reacceleration of diversions in 2024.
Rebuilt the Data Model The previous reimbursement estimate (~$3M) could not be fully validated at the record level. I rebuilt the model using: six years of disposal ticket activity, operational volume tracking, diversion frequency analysis, and linked spreadsheet validation structures capable of tracing calculations back to supporting records. This created: a defensible audit trail, scalable calculation methodology, and materially stronger executive supportability. Quantified the True Financial Exposure The validated data demonstrated that operational impact materially exceeded the previously discussed estimate. My analysis supported an updated impact estimate of approximately: $4.7M rather than the previously discussed ~$3M estimate. I advised leadership to anchor negotiations to the validated number rather than the earlier unsupported estimate. Reasoning: the data supported the higher figure, every calculation could be traced and defended, and negotiation flexibility should begin from validated operational reality rather than legacy assumptions. Reframed the Conversation Strategically Rather than focusing solely on reimbursement recovery, I identified a larger operational opportunity: Dedicated CTS Infrastructure Expansion My recommendation proposed exploring a long-term partnership model in which diversion-related funding could potentially support: expanded CTS capacity, operational redesign, or a dedicated Waste Pro processing lane at the transfer station. Strategic rationale: reduced route inefficiency, lower fuel consumption, reduced driver hours, improved throughput, reduced congestion, improved municipal service stability, and strengthened long-term contract positioning. This shifted the discussion from: “How much reimbursement is owed?” to: “How do we jointly solve the long-term operational bottleneck?” That repositioning created the potential for a more politically viable and operationally beneficial outcome for both organizations.
Operational Identified multi-year diversion inefficiencies Quantified operational exposure across six years of activity Created defensible audit-ready calculation structure Highlighted infrastructure bottlenecks impacting municipal operations Strategic Repositioned reimbursement discussion into partnership strategy Introduced long-term infrastructure optimization concept Supported retention positioning for major municipal business Strengthened executive negotiation posture through validated analytics Leadership Presented findings and recommendations to regional and municipal leadership stakeholders Balanced analytical rigor with political and operational realities Bridged finance, operations, and strategic planning perspectives
Commercial Strategy Operational Strategy Executive Communication Financial Modeling Data Reconciliation Infrastructure Planning Municipal Contract Support Cross-Functional Leadership Process Optimization Strategic Negotiation Support