EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 5, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Jaime M. Fontes, City Manager
BY: Michelle Marie Daher, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Grassroots Ecology Contract Funding Source and Duration Update Recommendation
Direct the City Manager to update contract with Grassroots Ecology as follows:
1. Rescind Resolution No. 5168 and replace it herein; and
2. Execute a three (3) year agreement with Grassroots Ecology, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with a not-to-exceed total amount of $45,000, ($15,000 per year) for the purposes of coordinating cleanup events in the City, funded with $27,000 from the Stormwater Impact Fund, and up to $18,000 from the CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 3: Increase Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Background
Grassroots Ecology is a local non-profit providing Ecological and Environmental Education support to the East Palo Alto community, with focused programs at Cooley Landing. On September 17, 2019, through Resolution No. 5168, the City Council authorized a five-year contract with Grassroots Ecology for services including ongoing litter abatement and public education programs. The proposed Scope of Services included volunteer engagement events not to exceed $9,000 per year for five consecutive years. The CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program was the noted means of funding for this contract, authorized through Resolution No. 5167, wherein the City Manager was directed to request said funds from CalRecycle by submitting an application and all documents required to obtain funds.
Prior to the contract being finalized and funding secured, staff were temporarily reassigned to assist the community in support of relief from pandemic related impacts. Subsequently, contracts for service were not finalized. Grassroots Ecology continued to provide ongoing support for related items, though a budgetary gap materialized for the non-profit during this time.
Cal Recycle requested completed applications for funding at the start of 2020 and each subsequent year. The City initiated an application at the beginning of 2020 and provided supporting documentation including noted resolutions yet failed to complete the application process for 2019 funds and did not submit applications for subsequent years.
Litter abatement of Cooley Landing and Runnymede drainage ditch is a required action under the city’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to prevent litter impacts to the San Francisco Bay. Grassroots Ecology has consistently provided ongoing cleanup support and modified programming during the fiscal years in question to accommodate changing needs of volunteers, while also hiring local community members as interns to provide program support as volunteer levels waned.
Grassroots Ecology has been unable to obtain gap funding to address the agreed upon incoming funds from the City and has proposed a modified scope of services to enable full access to agreed upon funds by condensing the use of the anticipated $45,000 in funds over a three-year period.
Analysis
CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program will not authorize retroactive distribution of the 2019 through 2022 program cycles. Applications for CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program funds will be available Fall 2022 and again Fall 2023 for Fiscal Year 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 distributions, at which time the City will request payments. These funds will become available under the authorized contract with Grassroots Ecology, upon successful completion of the required application.
Staff recommends the following actions are taken:
1. Rescind Resolution No. 5168; and
2. Execute a three (3) year agreement with Grassroots Ecology, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with a not-to-exceed total amount of $45,000, ($15,000 per year) for the purposes of coordinating cleanup events in the City, funded with $27,000 from the Stormwater Impact Fund, and up to $18,000 from the CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program.
While typical distributions have been over $9,000 per year, if authorized, the above actions will promote organizational efficiency as varying payment totals for the CalREcycle Beverage Container Payment Program are provided at the end of the calendar year.
Fiscal Impact
Authorization of the recommendation will result in a $27,000 allocation from the NPDES fund and up to $18,000 from the CalRecycle Beverage Container Payment Program.
Public Notice
Published with the City Council agenda packet.
Environmental
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a "project" pursuant to 15378(b)(4) because it is a fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
Attachments
1. GRE 3 Year Contract 2022 3-11