Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Michael Kashiwagi
City Administrator Interim Director, Oakland
Public Works
SUBJECT: Caltrans Clean California
Maintenance Agreement Extension &
Grant
DATE: May 20, 2024
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That City Council Adopt The Following Pieces of Legislation:
A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Accept And Appropriate Clean California Grant Funds To Oakland Public Works (OPW) For Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000) For A Total Of One Million Seven Hundred Thirty Thousand Dollars ($1,730,000) From The California Department Of Transportation (Caltrans); And (2) Execute An Amendment For A One-Year Extension To The Clean California Maintenance Agreement (CCMA) Between Caltrans And The City Of Oakland (City) To Provide Litter, Bulky Waste, And Homeless Encampment Debris Removal Services To Caltrans’ Rights Of Way In The City; And
A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Extend The Term Of The Contract With The Beautification Council (BC) By One-Year From June 30, 2024, To June 30, 2025; (2) Increase The Contract Amount By Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000) For A Total Not To Exceed Contract Amount Of Three Million Nine Hundred Thirty Thousand Dollars ($3,930,000); And (3) Waive Further Advertising And Competitive Request For Proposal/Qualification Selection Requirements
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City entered into a two-year Clean California Maintenance Agreement (CCMA) with Caltrans to provide litter, bulky waste, and homeless encampment debris removal services in pre-determined Caltrans’ rights of way throughout Oakland (Resolution No. 89279 C.M.S.).
Beautification Council (BC) is the City’s subcontractor for the CCMA project. As a result of the exceptional work performed by BC crews, Caltrans desires to extend the CCMA for another year – from June 30, 2024, to June 30, 2025, and to increase the contract capacity by four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) for a not-to-exceed contract amount of one million Jestin Johnson (May 29, 2024 20:56 PDT)
May 29, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Caltrans Clean California Maintenance Agreement & Grant Date: May 20, 2024 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
seven hundred thirty thousand dollars ($1,730,000). Staff seeks City Council approval to accept and appropriate the grant funds and to execute Caltrans’ Amendment No. 1 (Attachment A) to extend the CCMA through June 30, 2025.
Additionally, Staff seeks Council approval to extend the City’s contract with BC (Resolution No. 90053 C.M.S.) to June 30, 2025, and increase its contract capacity by four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) for a total-not-to-exceed contract amount of three million nine hundred thirty thousand dollars ($3,930,000), waiving further advertising and competitive request for proposal/qualification selection requirements.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
As a part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, the Clean California initiative invested $1.1 billion in state and local governments to remove litter, debris, and graffiti; create jobs; and beautify public areas along highways, streets, and roads, especially those in underserved rural and urban communities throughout the state. Clean California’s goal was to remove an additional 1.2 million cubic yards, or 21,000 tons of trash, from the state system by June 2024.
Through the Clean California Litter Program (Litter Program), Caltrans District 4 (San Francisco Bay Area) was tasked to distribute over three years approximately $7.5M amongst participating Bay Area municipalities based on need and competitive proposals. In partnership with BC, a long-time community-based nonprofit in Oakland, OPW Staff submitted a competitive proposal that was approved by Caltrans.
On July 29, 2022, the City entered into a $1.28M Clean California Maintenance Agreement (CCMA) with Caltrans to provide litter, bulky waste, and homeless encampment debris removal services in Caltrans’ Rights of Way in Oakland through June 30, 2024. BC is the City’s subcontractor for the CCMA project. To clean the on/off ramps, underpasses, and other Caltrans assets, BC employed the unhoused and justice-involved Oaklanders as their workforce. As a result of the exceptional work performed by BC crews, Caltrans now desires to extend the CCMA by one year from June 30, 2024, to June 30, 2025, and to increase the current $1.28M contract by $450,000 for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $1,730,000.
The CCMA enables the City to maintain a cleaner Oakland. The additional clean-up work is conducted on Caltrans properties near highway and freeway on-ramps/off-ramps, underpasses, and other Caltrans-owned sites throughout the City. These areas are not cleaned by City crews and infrequently cleaned by Caltrans crews. The CCMA grant provides more frequent cleaning for these areas in Oakland. To perform the clean-up work for this contract, OPW subcontracted with BC, an Oakland-based, nonprofit organization that hires, trains, and uplifts unsheltered and/or justice-involved individuals. Subcontracting with BC for this project created living-wage jobs for some of the most vulnerable populations in Oakland.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Caltrans Clean California Maintenance Agreement & Grant Date: May 20, 2024 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
In accordance with the City’s adopted Budget, City activities are structured to support the following priorities: (1) Holistic community safety; (2) Housing, economic, and cultural security; (3) Vibrant, sustainable infrastructure; (4) Responsive, trustworthy government.
The proposed grant agreement with Caltrans furthers all four of the City’s priorities.
Accepting the Clean California extension and grant will extend the City’s capacity to clean areas of the City that are not serviced by OPW. With the additional grant funds from the CCMA, the City will be able to maintain clean on- and off-ramps, underpasses, and other areas under Caltrans’ jurisdiction, contributing to safer communities and more sustainable infrastructure.
OPW recommends continuing the subcontracting
arrangement with BC for this work. Currently, OPW
also contracts with BC to remove litter and bulky
debris near and in active homeless encampments
because the nonprofit has demonstrated success at
engaging unsheltered residents in detailed micro-
cleaning at encampments and consistently
producing remarkable results. Through the City’s
contract with BC, Oakland can increase the
nonprofit’s capacity to hire more unhoused and
justice-involved individuals. Participants will be paid above the living wage and given job skills to
transition to stable employment, which improves
economic security for this population and benefits
the community at large. Council approval of the
proposed resolutions will demonstrate the City’s
responsiveness to Oaklanders’ appeals to do more to clean up Oakland streets.
Caltrans’ Clean California grant is a one-time funding source from the State. At the time of this report, Caltrans is nearing the end of its three-year Litter Program. Time is of the essence for the City to ratify the maintenance agreement before June 30, 2024, to ensure the City does not forfeit the Litter Program’s unused grant funds. Extending and increasing BC’s contract instead of issuing a new Request for Qualifications/ Proposals (RFP/Q) will ensure the nonprofit will continue cleaning more areas of Oakland without a break in service and continue the employment of the unhoused/justice-impacted participants.
Alternatives to the proposed CCMA Amendment are:
• Status Quo – Decline the $450,000 Clean California Grant. Do not execute Caltrans’ CCMA Amendment. Specific Caltrans locations in Oakland, identified by Caltrans and OPW as routinely plagued by litter and bulky waste, will revert to being cleaned less often on Caltrans’ limited schedule. On/off ramps and underpasses frequented by Oaklanders and visitors that are presently cleared of blight will become blighted once again.
Illegal dumping @ 42nd Ave and International Blvd
(Caltrans property at Hwy 77)
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Caltrans Clean California Maintenance Agreement & Grant Date: May 20, 2024 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
• Deploy City Crews to Perform Clean-Up – The City may execute the CCMA but elect to deploy Keep Oakland Clean & Beautiful (KOCB) crews to perform the trash removal.
However, this is not a preferred alternative because: (1) the Clean California grant is a one- time funding source and thus cannot support ongoing personnel costs beyond June 2025; (2) City crews are already operating at capacity, using overtime to remove trash and debris from in areas under the City’s jurisdiction; and (3) BC is uniquely qualified to hire and manage unsheltered residents to clean in and around active homeless encampments and have demonstrated their ability to consistently and reliably perform high-quality work, without the need to enlist police support.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City if the proposed resolutions are approved by the City Council.
The costs associated with the work to be performed for the project will be funded by the Clean California grant. Staff recommends that the City Council accept and appropriate grant funds in the amount of $450,000 in Fund (2140) California Department of Transportation, Organization (30674) Illegal Dumping, Project (1006798) Clean CA Maintenance Agreement.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
There is a high degree of public interest in eradicating illegal dumping. At Public Works Committee meetings, City Council meetings, and local community meetings, Oakland residents and business owners routinely appeal to the City to step up its response to the illegal dumping problem in their neighborhoods or near their places of business. Constituents who call to report dumping may later learn the dump site is in the Caltrans rights of way. This precludes City crews from removing the debris due to jurisdictional boundaries, leaving all parties dissatisfied. The public wants to see the City remove dumping wherever it occurs.
This item did not require any additional public outreach other than the required posting on the City’s website
.
COORDINATION
Staff worked with Caltrans, the City Attorney’s Office, the Budget Office, and the City Administrator’s Office in preparing this report.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The cost of illegal dumping to Oakland taxpayers continues to grow. Although the City deployed enforcement officers and resources to catch more dumpers, the need to remove Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Caltrans Clean California Maintenance Agreement & Grant Date: May 20, 2024 Page 5
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
trash continues. The Clean California grant will extend the City’s capacity to clean areas of the city that are not cleaned on a regular basis. The grant funds will also enable BC to hire more unsheltered/ justice-involved individuals to perform the additional work, providing participants with living wages and job skills to advance to regular employment. Finally, cleaner streets and underpasses will promote a safer, healthier, pedestrian-friendly environment that encourages shopping and recreation in Oakland, which will benefit neighborhood businesses.
Environmental: Illegal dumping is a crime against the environment. Illegally dumped materials can be washed into storm drains, contaminating Oakland’s waterways and harming wildlife.
Debris can clog storm drains and culverts, causing flooding. Large garbage piles increase the likelihood of fires. Dump piles serve as an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, rats, and other disease-carrying vectors. State grant funds will allow OPW to maintain an overall cleaner, safer Oakland.
Race & Equity: Clean streets – ones free of
discarded household goods, clothing, broken
furniture, appliances, and/or commercial waste
– will have a measurably positive effect on the
health and safety of Oaklanders, especially for
those living and working in historically
underserved and disadvantaged communities
below Interstate 580 where illegal dumping is
concentrated, and where chronic hot spots are
most prevalent. With the passage of the two
proposed resolutions, the City Council will
continue its commitment to invest resources
into traditionally underserved and racially
marginalized neighborhoods. With the Clean
California grant funds, the City can increase its
efforts to keep underprivileged communities
clean.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That City Council Adopt The Following Pieces of Legislation:
A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Accept And Appropriate Clean California Grant Funds To Oakland Public Works (OPW) For Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000) For A Total Of One Million Seven Hundred Thirty Thousand Dollars ($1,730,000) From The California Department Of Transportation (Caltrans); And (2) Execute An Amendment For A One-Year Extension To The Clean California Maintenance Agreement (CCMA) Between
Oakland’s Priority Neighborhoods (Source: OakDOT
Geographic Equity Toolbox)
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Caltrans Clean California Maintenance Agreement & Grant Date: May 20, 2024 Page 6
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 11, 2024
Caltrans And The City Of Oakland (City) To Provide Litter, Bulky Waste, And Homeless Encampment Debris Removal Services To Caltrans’ Rights Of Way In The City; And
A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Extend The Term Of The Contract With The Beautification Council (BC) By One-Year From June 30, 2024, To June 30, 2025; (2) Increase The Contract Amount By Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000) For A Total Not To Exceed Contract Amount Of Three Million Nine Hundred Thirty Thousand Dollars ($3,930,000); And (3) Waive Further Advertising And Competitive Request For Proposal/Qualification Selection Requirements
For questions regarding this report, please contact Victoria Chak, Administrative Services Manager, at (510) 615-5446.
Respectfully submitted,
MICHAEL KASHIWAGI
Interim Director, Oakland Public Works
Reviewed by:
Kristin Hathaway, Assistant Director
Oakland Public Works – Bureau of Environment
Prepared by:
Victoria Chak, Administrative Services Manager
Oakland Public Works – Bureau of Environment
Attachments: (1)
A. Caltrans CCMA Amendment No 1