Agenda #: 5.5
Meeting Date: July 16, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ZERO FOODPRINT FOR SB 1383 RECOVERED ORGANIC WASTE PRODUCT (ROWP)
PROCUREMENT THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Safe, Sustainable & Healthy Community
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve and authorize the City Manager to sign the Consultant Services Agreement with Zero Foodprint.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement for FY 2024-25 is $99,000. Sufficient funds are included in the AB 939 Solid Waste Management budget, which Council recently adopted within the FY 2024-25 operating budget. The cost of this service will be fully covered through CalRecycle’s Senate Bill (SB) 1383 Local Assistance Organic Waste Recycling Grant, which the City received in May 2024 totaling $146,317.
BACKGROUND:
SB 1383 is the State's Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Strategy aimed to reduce greenhouse gas (methane) as well as materials entering the landfills. In accordance with Senate Bill (SB) 1383, all jurisdictions are required to procure Recovered Organic Waste Products (ROWP) to meet both 65% target for 2024 and 100% target for 2025.
Recovered Organic Waste Products (ROWP) procurement target was calculated based on the City's 2021 population (56,717), multiplying that by 0.08 tons. This aspect of the legislation set ambitious goals; in order for the City to achieve 100% of the target, 4,537.36 tons of organic materials would have to be procured. In September 2022, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1985 to allot a two-year phase-in period for cities to meet their procurement targets as follows:
% Target (CY) 30% (2023) 65% (2024) 100% (2025)
ORG Procurement
Tonnage
1,361.21 tons 2,949.28 4,537.36 tons
The City was unable to meet the 30% procurement target in 2023. However, attempts were made to host several events with residential hauler Waste Management (WM), including two (2) compost giveaways that recovered 80 tons of mulch.
ANALYSIS:
City staff researched the different providers that can satisfy Recovered Organic Waste Products (ROWP) procurement targets in the role of “direct service provider,” which is in addition and supplemental to the tonnage that the City’s two franchise haulers provide.
It was difficult to find comparable vendors to satisfy both the tonnage and reporting requirements. The following is a summary of findings:
Greenleaf Power sells biomass-to-electricity credits to match the City’s electricity usage – similar to airlines offsetting carbon emissions when passengers subscribe to an extra fee. Based on Greenleaf’s assessment, they would only be able to procure 60% of the City’s 100% annual target at a cost of $106,000 over the term of the agreement.
This option would be insufficient for Recovered Organic Waste Products (ROWP) procurement efforts.
Agromin is an organic waste producer that operates multiple composting facilities in Southern California. They have sufficient materials and are able to meet both 2024 and 2025 procurement targets at a cost of $109,378.46. However, the reporting requirements were not satisfactory for the City’s current needs.
Zero Foodprint is a non-profit organization that works with local communities to connect farms with grant funding, and resources such as compost. Zero Foodprint is not an organic waste producer but have assessed conditions and resources to ensure they can support the City in meeting both 2024 and 2025 procurement targets at a cost of $95,111.70. In addition to providing CalRecycle reporting documentation, they are also able to generate project photographs and narratives of where procured materials are distributed. The City would also have access to Zero Foodprint’s Climate Benefit reporting and Climate Action Plan Integration.
It is recommended that the City partner with Zero Foodprint (ZFP) to be a direct service provider in SB 1383’s Recovered Organic Waste Products (ROWP) procurement. It is requested that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement with Zero Foodprint (ZFP) at an annual cost of not-to-exceed $99,000.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.5.a ZFP Service Agreement
2. 5.5.b ZFP Exhibit A