STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Tania Schwartz, Sr. Management Analyst
Michael Hensley, Deputy Director of Public Works
Subject: Earth Day Celebration at the Farmer’s Market
Attachments: None
INTRODUCTION
The City began celebrating Earth Day 19 years ago and it has become a very popular event. At the Beverly Hills Farmer’s Market on Sunday April 23, 2023, the City will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Earth Day. The theme this year will be “Invest in Our Planet.”
DISCUSSION
Public Works staff will host this year’s Earth Day celebration and is partnering with various community organizations to provide tips on how to ‘invest in our planet.’ In addition to the Earth Day information booth, the City will host a free document shredding, e-waste booth and compost give-away. For the first time, this year there will be a repair clinic at Earth Day, which helps reduce landfill waste by repairing household goods.
The Earth Day Celebration at the Farmer’s Market is a free event open to the public.
Below are details for some of the event activities. Highlights of the month-long festivities include the following:
• Countertop kitchen organics pail giveaway for Beverly Hills residents with a Beverly Hills address on their ID to assist in the collection of food organics material.
• Water conservation booth covering water conservation educational material and tips.
• E-Waste collection event on the first Sunday of every month at the Farmer’s Market and at the Earth Day event.
• Mini-Repair Café where attendees can partake in free knife sharpening, computer trouble shooting/repair, bike and small appliance repair and jewelry restringing.
• Free compost made from organic waste for community members to use in their spring gardening.
BEVERLY
HILLS
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Meeting Date: March 21, 2023
SUSTAINABILITY
The City is committed to being an environmental steward and has made it a priority to educate the community about different ways to be sustainable and to protect the environment. Events like Earth Day and promoting sustainable practices are in line with the City’s Sustainability Plan. Additionally, the City is committed to “Investing in our Planet” by looking at natural system processes and emerging green technologies to restore the world’s ecosystems and help rid the world’s oceans of plastics.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Information about the Earth Day and related events will be shared through promotional materials, a dedicated City webpage, social media posts, street banners, newspaper ads and Beverly Hills Unified School District emails and e-notices. Community members can go to beverlyhills.org to sign up for e-notices and follow City social media accounts. For the community to make specific requests or to obtain more information, the public may contact the City’s Customer Relations team at 310-285-2467, email [email protected] or submit a request online through AskBev.
FISCAL IMPACT
The budget for the Earth Day event is funded by the Public Works Environmental Utilities Enterprise Funds (Water, Wastewater, Storm Water and Solid Waste). Costs are minimal and funding will be used for advertising and the purchase of promotional items.
RECOMMENDATION
This item is for informational and discussion purposes.
Shana Epstein,
Director of Public Works
Approved By