CITY OF PACIFICA
170 Santa Maria Avenue • Pacifica, California 94044-2506 www.cityofpacifica.org
MAYOR
Sue Vaterlaus
MAYOR PRO TEM
Sue Beckmeyer
COUNCIL
Mary Bier
Tygarjas Bigstyck
Christine Boles
Scenic Pacifica
Incorporated Nov. 22, 1957
September 23, 2024
The Honorable Amarra A. Lee
Judge of the Superior Court
c/o Bianca Fasuescu
Hall of Justice
400 County Center; 2nd Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063-1655
Subject: City of Pacifica’s response to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report – “The State of Compost Compliance in San Mateo County”
Dear Judge Lee and Members of the Grand Jury:
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the above-referenced Civil Grand Jury report filed on July 11, 2024. Pursuant to Penal Code § 933(c), the City of Pacifica’s (“City”) response to the several findings and recommendations contained in the report are provided below. The Pacifica City Council reviewed and approved the responses at a public meeting on September 23, 2024.
Responses to Civil Grand Jury Findings:
F1. High green cart enrollment costs and insufficient bin space are the dominant contributors to low participation rates among multi-family dwellings and businesses.
Response to F1. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F2. Green bin contamination among compliant multi-family dwellings and businesses prevents them from diverting more organic waste.
Response to F2. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F3. City, County, and RethinkWaste compliance outreach efforts for multi-family dwellings and businesses could improve because a significant portion of these properties remain noncompliant.
City of Pacifica’s response to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report – “The State of Compost Compliance in San Mateo County” | September 23, 2024
Response to F3. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F4. Multi-family dwellings and businesses produce a significant amount of the County’s organic waste.
Response to F4. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F5. Citizens cannot conveniently access reliable diversion and participation rates because JPAs and Cities do not make the information available on their government websites.
Response to F5. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F6. Assessing progress on organic waste diversion in Atherton, Brisbane, Millbrae, Pacifica, San Bruno, South San Francisco, and Woodside is difficult because they and their haulers do not separate waste tons by property type on their annual or quarterly reports.
Response to F6. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F7. An alternate and reliable method to separating waste tons by property type would be analyzing contamination statistics from route audits and waste evaluations.
Response to F7. The respondent agrees with the finding.
F8. Brisbane, South San Francisco, and Millbrae cannot properly track their waste trends since their hauler and contractor have contradictory diversion rate formulas and tonnage measurements.
Response to R8. Not applicable: The City of Pacifica is not named in this finding and therefore has no comment.
Responses to Civil Grand Jury Recommendations:
R1. Beginning March 1, 2025, Cities, the County, and RethinkWaste should host regular inperson green cart enrollment summits for non-compliant businesses and multi-family dwellings and identify other new compliance strategies.
Response to R1. The recommendation has yet to be implemented but will be implemented in the future.
a) The first events will be at the annual Earth Day Event in April 2025 and the annual 2025 Pacifica Fog Festival. Recology will also meet one on one with service users in an effort to improve diversion and reduce disposal quantities.
R2. Beginning January 1, 2025, Brisbane, South San Francisco, and Millbrae should investigate their Electronic Annual Report contractor’s diversion rate conversion formulas and City of Pacifica’s response to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report – “The State of Compost Compliance in San Mateo County” | September 23, 2024
their hauler’s waste scales.
Response to R2. Not applicable: The City of Pacifica is not named in this recommendation and therefore has no comment.
R3. By July 1, 2025, Brisbane, South San Francisco, and Millbrae should begin using the simpler diversion rate calculation the report mentioned or develop a contingency plan if their hauler’s scales are inaccurate.
Response to R3. Not applicable: The City of Pacifica is not named in this recommendation and therefore has no comment.
R4. Beginning November 30, 2024, Cities should publish quarterly or annual waste reports with diversion and participation rates on their government websites.
Response to R4. The recommendation has been implemented. a) Recology provides specific participation and tonnage information monthly. The City will post the monthly reports on the City’s website.
R5. Beginning December 31, 2024, Cities should separate waste tons and diversion rates into the three (or two) property types (business, residential, multi-family) in their annual or quarterly reports.
Response to R5. The recommendation has been implemented. a) On Pacifica’s current rate schedule there are only two property types in Pacifica, residential and commercial. The Recology monthly and annual reports provide separate tonnage data for both residential and commercial properties.
R6. Starting April 1, 2025, Cities that cannot separate waste tons and diversion rates by property type should conduct waste evaluations on highly contaminated routes more often.
Response to R6. The recommendation has been implemented. a) Currently waste evaluations are conducted by both Recology drivers using a tagging system and a Waste Zero specialist.
R7. Starting May 1, 2025, Cities that cannot separate waste tons and diversion rates by property type should analyze problematic routes’ past and present contamination trends to track their progress.
Response to R7. The recommendation has been implemented. b) Recology drivers, Waste Zero specialist and the Recology management team analyze problematic routes and contamination trends in efforts to improve diversion and reduce disposal quantities.
City of Pacifica’s response to the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report – “The State of Compost Compliance in San Mateo County” | September 23, 2024
R8. By February 1, 2025, jurisdictions should develop and implement new ways to make green bins usable in multi-family dwellings and businesses’ narrow or small waste enclosures.
Response to R1. The recommendation has been implemented. a) Recology offers 32, 64, & 96-gallon organic carts to customers, Recology also offers training and outreach materials to ensure success.
Sincerely,
KEVIN WOODHOUSE
City Manager
cc: Pacifica City Council