DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Maintenance Services
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolutions Authorizing the City Manager to Submit an Individual Grant Application for the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program as the Assigned Designated Signature Authority and Accept and Appropriate $250,000 in Grant Funds
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to submit an individual grant application for the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)’s Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program (Grant) as the assigned designated signature authority and a resolution (Attachment III) to accept and appropriate $250,000 grant funds, if awarded.
SUMMARY
CalRecycle offers the Grant to clean up solid waste sites and disposal sites where cleanup is needed to protect public health and safety and/or the environment. Grant funds support projects through June 2029 and require no matching funds. As part of the grant process, governing bodies must submit a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application and assign a designated signature authority. Maintenance Services is recommending applying for $250,000 in grant funds to reinstate the Disposal Day events, install preventative illegal dumping measures, and hire limited-term staff to support these efforts.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In Fiscal Year 2024, the Maintenance Services Department (MSD) piloted programs intended to support legal disposal of bulky and overflow items in low-income census tracks. Building on the success from the pilot, MSD launched “Disposal Days”in Fiscal Year 2025, a bi-monthly, nocost household disposal event available to all Hayward households. Households register online ahead of time to ensure availability.
Interest and participation from the community was overwhelming. Each event reached its maximum number of registrants (300 households) and included a sizeable waitlist. MSD successfully held six Disposal Day events where 1,800 households removed over 6,000 cubic
yards of solid waste, some of which would have ultimately been illegally dumped within the Hayward community.
The Disposal Day events and citywide illegal dumping efforts were supported by City staff, temporary personnel, and community engagement. Unfortunately, in FY26, the Disposal Days events and temporary personnel were put on an indefinite hold due to the City’s financial situation. In response, MSD looked for grant funds to support these efforts and is now requesting authority to apply to this Grant.
In September 2026, staff received approval from the City’s Grant Committee to apply for $250,000 in grant funds. If received, these funds would support 12 Disposal Day events, implement prevention efforts like fences and signage at frequent dumping locations, and support a workforce development plan to provide limited-term employment opportunities for residents to gain hands-on work experience.
If the City receives the grant, the attached resolution authorizes the funds to be accepted and appropriated in MSD’s operating budget upon receipt.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no impact to the General Fund since the Grant requires no match.
ECONOMIC IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
This item provides direct economic impact to the City by removing public health and safety and environmental problems, removing blight, and providing limited-term employment opportunities.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This item supports Council’s Strategic Priority of Cultivate Vibrate Neighborhoods. Previous metrics this item supports under the Invest in Cleanliness and Blight Reduction Objective:
NM1: % of Access Hayward illegal dumping , graffiti, unhoused abatement, and landscaping requests are responded to within target
NM2: # of households participating in Disposal Days
NEXT STEPS
If approved, the City Manager will be authorized to submit an individual grant application for CalRecycle’s Grant as the assigned designated signature authority. Upon grant award, the City Manager will be authorized to accept and appropriate $250,000 in grant funds to MSD’s operating budget.
Prepared by: Manny Grewal, Sr. Management Analyst
Recommended by: Todd Rullman, Director of Maintenance Services Approved by:
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Jennifer Ott, City Manager