AGENDA
ITEM
14 AGENDA
CALEXICO California ITEM
WHERE CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO MEET
14 CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 1, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
APPROVED BY: Benjamin Martinez, City Manager
REVIEWED BY: Karla Chaparro, Finance Director U
PREPARED BY: Jesus Villegas, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: Authorize City Manager to Sign Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Calexico and Keep America Beautiful for New River Improvement Project Community Action Day to be Held on November 1, 2025.
Recommendation:
Authorize City Manager to Sign Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Calexico and Keep America Beautiful for New River Improvement Project Community Action Day to be Held on November 1, 2025.
Background:
Back in August, Keep America Beautiful and City of Imperial staff reached out to the City of Calexico Public Works Department to see if the City was interested in partnering with them to have a tree planting community event to enhance wildlife habitat within Calexico. Since the construction of the New River Improvement Project - Calexico Reach project was coming to a closure and part of the State of California, Department of Fish and Wildlife permit requires that the City replant 30% of the vegetation that was removed, it was recommended that Keep America Beautiful assist us with this task.
Discussion and Analysis:
The purpose of the New River Improvement Project Community Action Day is to engage community volunteers in revegetation of the New River Improvement Project to improve the water quality and mitigate erosion. Volunteers will learn the recommended practices in this region for improving water quality and mitigating erosion by planting approximately 1,000 iodine bush and 600 mesquite trees along the New River Improvement Project. The tentative schedule for November 1, 2025 is as follows:
• 7:30 am: Check-in
• 8:05 am: Welcome/Safety/Assignments
• 8:20 am: Start activities - prepare beds, plant native plants, and remove any weeds • 10:30 am: Clean up
• 11:00 am: Free lunch
City staff is recommending that the City Council of the City of Calexico authorize City Manager to Sign Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Calexico and Keep America Beautiful for New River Improvement Project Community Action Day to be Held on November 1, 2025.
Fiscal Impact:
Keep America Beautiful will be responsible for reimbursing the City of Calexico for mutually agreed upon tools, equipment, and supplies; food, refreshments, plates, cups, utensils and napkins; and preapproved subcontractor time and expenses for November 1, 2025 event.
Coordinated With:
City Manager's Office.
Finance Department.
Public Works Department.
Keep America Beautiful
City of Imperial
Imperial Irrigation District
Barrett Biological Enterprises
Jose Angel
Attachments):
1. Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Calexico and Keep America Beautiful.
2 ATTACHMENT NO. 1
1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901
T: 203.659.3000 F: 203.659.3001
KEEP [email protected] / www.kab.org
BEAUTIFUL
lemorandum Of Understanding
Imperial County Community Action Day - 11/1/25
This Memorandum Of Understanding ("MOU") is entered into on October 1, 2025 (the "Effective Date"), by and between Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit 501(c)3 located at 1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901 ("KAB") and the City of Calexico, located at 608 Heber Avenue, Calexico, CA 922.31. KAB and the City of Calexico may be referred to collectively as "the Parties."
Description of Scope
Description of Project
The City of Calexico will work with KAB and our mutual partner organizations to host a community action event in Calexico, California on November 1, 2025. This will accomplish the following objectives:
• Engaging around 60 - 70 volunteers to work on a community action event focused on an lodine and Mesquite planting along the New River. • Ensuring each volunteer is registered and participates in a hands-on volunteer climate action activity, including tree planting and related tasks.
Responsibilities of the Parties
The City of Calexico:
The City of Calexico will be responsible for:
• Jointly coordinating a team featuring KAB, Keep California Beautiful, and external local partners, including the City of Imperial, Imperial Irrigation District, Barrett Biological Enterprises, and other organizations, in the planning and execution of the community action event.
• Ensuring lunch and refreshments are provided for volunteers, utilizing zero waste or low waste options whenever possible.
• Jointly offering activity training, safety precautions, and educational context for all participating volunteers.
• Jointly identifying volunteer engagement outreach targets, and conduct event promotional outreach to a variety of media, social media, and external partners. • Jointly compiling all volunteer registrations and event waivers.
Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties, the above describes the City of Calexico's complete responsibilities.
The work will be performed by a blended team comprised of personnel from the City of Calexico, KAB, KCB, and other external partners.
1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901
T: 203.659.3000 F: 203.659.3001
AMERIC A [email protected] / www.kab.org
BEAUTIFUL
Keep America Beautiful:
In exchange for the obligations detailed above, KAB will be responsible for reimbursing the City of Calexico for mutually agreed upon tools, equipment, and supplies; food, refreshments, plates, cups, utensils and napkins; and preapproved subcontractor time and expenses. These costs shall not exceed $9,000 without further authorization. KAB will also provide a registration platform for volunteers and will support volunteer recruitment efforts.
Base/minimum funding (regardless of volunteer count): $2,500 • At least 30 volunteers secured: An additional $1,000 for a total of $3,500 • At least 40 volunteers secured: An additional $1,000 for a total of $4,500 • At least 50 volunteers secured: An additional $1,500 for a total of $6,000 • At least 60 volunteers secured: An additional $1,500 for a total of $7,500 • At least 70 volunteers secured: An additional $1,500 for a total of $9,000 • At least 80 volunteers secured: An additional $1,500 for a total of $10,500 • At least 90 volunteers secured: An additional $1,500 for a total of $12,000 In addition, funding for food, refreshments, plates, cups, utensils, and napkins will be provided separately at up to $15 per volunteer. This funding cannot exceed $15 per volunteer without further authorization, and does not count towards the volunteer-based payment amounts detailed above.
* * * * % *
Keep America Beautiful appreciates the opportunity to work with the City of Calexico on this climate action event. If this is consistent with your understanding, please sign and return a copy to me via email, and I will counter-sign and return for your records. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 732-910-2063 or via email at [email protected].
1010 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT 06901
T: 203.659.3000 F: 203.659.3001
КЕЕ P AMERICA [email protected] / www.kab.org
BEAUTIFUL
Accepted and Agreed on this date of
DATE:
The City of Calexico Keep America Beautiful Inc
Benjamin A. Martinez David Wheeler
City Manager Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
608 Heber Avenue 1010 Washington Boulevard
Calexico, CA 92231 Stamford, CT 06901