Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Five-Year Agreement with Clean Water Fund for Targeted Zero Waste Technical Assistance for Commercial Food Vendors in an Amount Not to Exceed $289,000. (Public Works 26241631)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Promoting a zero waste culture is one of the five strategies identified in the City Council approved 2018 Zero Waste Implementation Plan Update (ZWIP Update) to ensure the City of Alameda (City) meets its Zero Waste goal of 89% diversion. A critical component of creating a zero waste culture is transitioning from a disposable community to a reusable one. On April 23, 2020, the City executed an agreement with Clean Water Fund, in the amount of $51,298, to continue technical assistance support of the city’s food vendors in an effort to reduce the generation of disposable food ware and progress towards use of reusables. The agreement is now expired and staff is asking for approval of a new five-year agreement with Clean Water Fund to continue this work.
BACKGROUND
In 2017, staff applied for and received a $400,000 grant from the Clean Water Fund - Ocean Protection Council, to implement a two-year program called “ReThink Disposable: Unpackaging Alameda.” The grant program was launched by Clean Water Fund to create a model, “unpackaged” community that would enable 80-100 of the city’s food vendors to receive support and guidance on how to transition from disposable food ware to reusable items, resulting in reduction of waste and business cost savings.
On September 19, 2017, the City Council passed the Disposable Food Service Ware Reduction Law (Alameda Municipal Code: 4-4) to reduce the number of single-use plastics generated within the City. This ordinance encouraged the use of reusable food ware, prohibited the use of single-use plastics, and required the city’s food vendors to utilize compostable fiber-based packaging for to-go items.
On July 1, 2018, City Council approved the ZWIP Update, which evaluated the City’s progress towards zero waste, or 89% diversion, from landfill by 2020. The ZWIP was originally adopted in 2010 and included 49 recommended actions. The ZWIP Update included five priority strategies to achieve the City’s zero waste goal. The ReThink Disposable project ensures that the City is achieving progress towards the 89% target, specifically progress towards the first of the five strategies: “Support Zero Waste Culture in the city. This strategy enhances and celebrates the city’s growing zero waste culture through several actions that recognize the shared responsibility for each individual to reduce and divert waste from the landfill.”
In April 2020, the City negotiated and executed a one-year agreement with Clean Water Fund (for the ReThink Disposable) to provide ongoing support to Alameda’s food vendors already participating in the program and to enroll additional/new businesses in the program. The agreement continued the City’s efforts to execute ZWIP Update Strategy 1 by reducing the generation of disposable food ware and continue progress towards switching to reusables.
As a result of the targeted technical assistance, 80 Alameda businesses are eliminating the annual use of 6,199,840 pieces of single-use food ware and preventing 32.34 tons of waste from going to landfill. Due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses pivoted to only providing take-out and delivery that typically depend on non-reusables. Now with outdoor dining and indoor dining opening back up, it is critical to continue this program so that businesses have the support they need to reopen with reusables.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends authorizing the execution of this agreement to continue the ReThink Disposable program. This will support the shift to reusable food ware, which can provide savings to business and help drive a zero waste culture in Alameda. Staff recommends pursuing a sole source agreement with Clean Water Fund, rather than soliciting for services, to capitalize on the previous work completed by the vendor under the grant. Continuing this program will reduce waste to the landfill and reduce litter in public areas. This follows the waste management hierarchy by stopping waste before it starts. Source reduction and reuse protect the climate by avoiding carbon emissions associated with resource extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal-especially as an alternative to consuming single-use, disposable products. Staff recommends continuing this work with a five-year agreement to help advance the 2019 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) and the ZWIP Update.
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Clean Water Fund, as described above.
• Do not authorize execution of this agreement and discontinue the ReThink Disposable program. This will move the City further away from achieving its diversion target, halt a critical program helping promote a zero waste culture (the first of five priority strategies in the ZWIP Update), and conflict with the recommendations outlined in the CARP.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funds for this contract are budgeted in the Public Works Operating Budget for Fiscal Years 2021-23, funded from the Measure D Fund (262). Subsequent amendments are dependent on future appropriations. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Compensation over the five year term is as follows:
Term |
Yearly Total |
Cumulative Total |
Fiscal Year 21-22 |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
Fiscal Year 22-23 |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
Fiscal Year 23-24 |
$62,000 |
$162,000 |
Fiscal Year 24-25 |
$62,000 |
$224,000 |
Fiscal Year 25-26 |
$65,000 |
$289,000 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the CARP (2019), the Zero Waste Implementation Plan (2010) and ZWIP Update (2018), and the Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance (Sec. 4-4 of the Alameda Municipal Code).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this project is categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15308, Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment. The strategies in the ZWIP Update are intended to guide the City in the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, thus protecting the environment.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
The City’s CARP assumes full implementation of the ZWIP Update to achieve the ambitious goal to reduce emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero as soon as possible. The work by Clean Water Fund shifts Alameda towards a zero waste culture, which if embodied, creates an opportunity for Alamedans to make a difference in their carbon footprints.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a five-year agreement with Clean Water Fund for targeted zero waste technical assistance for commercial food vendors in an amount not to exceed $289,000.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the recommendation to authorize the City Manager to execute a five-year agreement with the Clean Water Fund for targeted zero waste technical assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
By,
Marc Green, Program Specialist
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager