DATE: November 14, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Staff to Apply for the SB1383 Local Assistance Grant Program from CalRecycle
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing staff to apply for the SB1383 Local Assistance Grant Program from CalRecycle.
SUMMARY
CalRecycle’s SB1383 Local Assistance Grant Program is a non-competitive grant that provides funding to local jurisdictions to pay for costs related to the implementation of SB1383. This law includes wide-ranging requirements that address organics collection, edible food recovery, organics procurement, education, and enforcement. In 2021, the City was awarded $223,823 from the grant program. The second round of the grant is open for applications with a due date of November 15, 2023. CalRecycle is requiring a new Council resolution in order to apply for the second round of funding. For the second round, the City is estimated to receive $280,334. The second round of the grant would be awarded in March 2024 and the grant term ends in April 2026.
BACKGROUND
CalRecycle’s SB1383 Local Assistance Grant Program is a non-competitive grant that provides funding to local jurisdictions to pay for costs related to the implementation of SB1383. SB 1383, signed into law in 2016, is the most significant waste reduction mandate to be adopted in California in the last 30 years. The law includes wide-ranging requirements that address organics collection, edible food recovery, organics procurement, education, and enforcement. In 2021, the City was awarded $223,823 from the grant program and has used it to acquire software for tracking program compliance as well as to cover staff costs. The City has $131,433 remaining from the 2021 grant, which must be spent by May 2, 2024.
DISCUSSION
The second round of the grant is open for applications with a due date of November 15, 2023. CalRecycle is requiring a new Council resolution in order to apply for the second round of funding. For the second round, Hayward is estimated to receive $280,334. The grant would be awarded in March 2024 and the grant term ends in April 2026.
Staff is currently working with the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) to prepare plans for a compost hub at the Hayward Community Garden on Whitman Street. The compost hub would be open to the public where people can collect compost free of charge year-round. Funds from the first round may be used to develop the compost hub. Staff’s preliminary spending plan for the second round includes paying for a second year of a Sustainability Service Corps Fellow to help implement SB1383, performing outreach to businesses regarding SB1383, covering staff time spent working on SB1383 implementation, as well as purchasing indoor recycling and composting containers for businesses.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Offering residents free compost through a compost hub can help offset the costs of gardening for Hayward residents, and providing some businesses with free indoor containers to help them meet SB1383 requirements can save businesses money. However, the acquisition and use of these funds will have negligible economic impact on Hayward.
FISCAL IMPACT
Using the SB1383 CalRecycle 2024-2026 grant cycle funds to help implement SB1383 will offset the programmatic cost that would have otherwise been funded through the use of the City’s Recycling Fund. Once staff’s proposed expenditure plan is finalized, staff will seek approval from the City’s internal Grants Review Committee to ensure there is no impact to staffing levels or the City’s General Fund.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority Confront Climate Crisis & Champion Environmental Justice. Specifically, this item relates to the implementation of the following projects:
Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Dependency on Fossil Fuels
Project C1: Implement Year 1 Programs from the adopted GHG Roadmap (Climate Action Plan) Reduce Waste by Promoting a Circular Economy
Project C7: Continue to identify opportunities for compost hubs and other distribution mechanisms for compost in Hayward
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
The projects funded by this grant will help divert organic waste from the landfill thereby reducing methane emissions. These organic materials will be converted into compost that can be used by Hayward residents.
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public outreach was conducted.
NEXT STEPS
If approved by Council, staff will forward the adopted resolution with the application to the SB1383 Local Assistance Grant Program.
Prepared by: Jeff Krump, Solid Waste Program Manager
Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
_____________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager