Fremont City Council Meeting: 06/16/26 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Community Development
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5747) DOC ID: 5747
Updated: 6/11/2026 7:18 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Grant Memorandum of Understanding - $510,000 5-year Agreement to Continue Annual Funding for FUSD Recycling Coordinator and pilot Environmental Education Field Trip Participation Assistance
Contact Persons:
Name: Jamie Cooley Kathleen Cote-Guarnieri
Title: Environmental Specialist II Environmental Services Manager Div/Dept: Community Development Community Development
Phone: (510) 494-4573 510-494-4583
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a five-year successor agreement with Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) to continue supporting recycling coordination, waste-diversion activities, and participation in the City’s environmental education program. This agreement includes $50,000 to pilot transportation assistance to expand accessibility to the City’s Environmental Education Field Trip program. The total funding amount for the initial five-year term would be $510,000 through June 30, 2031. Staff is recommending the document include an option to extend the agreement an additional five years upon mutual agreement of the parties.
This agreement would continue to be funded from the Integrated Waste Management Fund. There would be no General Fund impact.
Background: For more than three decades, the City has provided grant funding to FUSD for recycling coordination. This partnership advances the District’s ability to meet waste-diversion goals and also supports the City’s waste reduction and sustainability goals. It complements the City’s environmental education program on waste reduction, sustainability, and clean water.
The current five-year agreement between the City and Fremont Unified School District is set to expire on June 30, 2026. Staff is recommending a new five-year successor agreement to maintain this partnership. The agreement preserves prior funding levels with a cost-of-living adjustment, includes a small allowance for technical conferences and training, and adds a contingency to support transportation for students participating in the City’s environmental education programs at the Nature Learning Center.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5747) Meeting of June 16, 2026 Updated: 6/11/2026 7:18 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 The City conducts environmental education programs at the Nature Learning Center which are targeted at 2nd and 3rd graders and are designed to align with Next Generation Science Standards. Currently, the center hosts 50–60 field trips each school year, serving roughly half of all eligible FUSD classes.
Teachers have expressed that transportation has been a barrier to participation. This contract provides the mechanism for the parties to develop transportation support, likely including use of FUSD buses, to expand environmental education program access.
Discussion/Analysis: The City has partnered with FUSD for over 30 years to support recycling coordination, waste-diversion efforts, and environmental education. FUSD is one of the City’s largest commercial customers and this partnership has helped both parties meet their waste reduction and sustainability goals.
The recommended contract contains the following provisions:
Term
• July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031
Reimbursement
• Funding for a District Recycling Coordinator
• Contingency for transportation to field trips
• Allowance for Coordinator to attend technical conferences or training • Exhibit A reimbursement amounts:
• FY 2026/27 $88,000
• FY 2027/28 $88,000
• FY 2028/29 $93,000
• FY 2029/30 $93,000
• FY 2030/31 $98,000
• Transportation support for Nature Learning Center field trips (one- time amount covering FY 2026/27–2030/31): $50,000
• Five Year Total: $510,000
Outreach and Support
• Support by purchasing and providing indoor containers, outreach materials, and including program information in the City newsletter • Regular meetings between City staff and the Recycling Coordinator Reporting
• Annual reporting on waste reduction and implementation of a waste diversion plan that’s mutually developed by the two parties • Progress towards FUSD’s zero-waste to landfill resolution
Council Staff Report (ID # 5747) Meeting of June 16, 2026 Updated: 6/11/2026 7:18 PM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 3 Fiscal Impact: Funding will come from the Integrated Waste Management Fund operating budget (Fund 115). There is no General Fund impact. This work has been included in the FY 2026/27 Proposed Operating Budget and will be included in subsequent budget submittals.
Environmental Review: Approving the Fremont Unified School District Grant Memorandum of Understanding is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to, without limitation to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)2), (4) and/or (5) and/or 15061(b)(3) in that is an administrative or fiscal activity of the City that does not have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Each of the foregoing provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA exemption.
Attachments: None.
Recommendation: Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a five-year successor Memorandum of Understanding between FUSD and the City, for a total funding amount of $510,000 through June 30, 2031, and an option to extend the MOU for an additional five years, and other terms consistent with the parameters described in this staff report, and take all reasonable actions necessary and appropriate to implement same.