September 15, 2026
Economic Development
DATE: September 15, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Nannette Beacham, Director of Economic Development
Samantha Carr, Environment Manager
Subject:
Amendment to the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste
Management Authority (WCCIWMA or RecycleMore) Joint
Exercise of Powers Agreement
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond is a member of the West Contra
Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority
(WCCIWMA or RecycleMore), a Joint Powers Authority
that provides solid waste, recycling, and composting
services. RecycleMore’s budget is primarily funded by
ratepayer fees based on the volume of materials
collected by Member Agency haulers and delivered for
processing and disposal. Currently, the Board adopts its budget in June for a July 1 fiscal year, while its primary revenue source, the Post Collection rates, is adjusted on January 1. This six-month misalignment can create a
revenue shortfall from July through December. Changing
the fiscal year to January 1 – December 31 would align
the budget and rate-setting cycles, improving financial planning and revenue alignment.
AGENDA
REPORT
September 15, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving the first amendment to the Fifth Amendment and Restatement of the West Contra
Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority
(WCCIWMA) Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement to
change WCCIWMA’s fiscal year to January through
December commencing January 1, 2027, and DIRECT
the Mayor to execute the amendment to the Joint
Exercise of Powers Agreement (JEPA) forming the
Authority - Economic Development (Samantha Carr 510-
620-5407/Nannette Beacham 510-621-1306).
DISCUSSION:
Background
The City of Richmond is a member of the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (WCCIWMA or RecycleMore) Joint Powers Authority, providing solid waste, recycling, and composting-related services for the City. The RecycleMore Board is required to adopt a Fiscal Year budget by June 30 as outlined by Section 8.8 of the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JEPA).
The proposed budget is typically presented at the May Board meeting to the Board of Directors, prior to consideration for approval at the June Board meeting. However, the rate-setting process under the Post-Collection Agreement (PCA) is on a calendar year schedule, making it difficult to assess the rate impact for the following year. This is a result of the rate calculation and approval associated with the PCA and the City’s Collection Service Franchise Agreement with Richmond Sanitary Service becoming available during the October/November/December timeframe, after the Fiscal Year budget is adopted. The rates become effective January 1st of the following year.
RecycleMore Board’s budget is funded by ratepayer fees tied to the volume of solid waste, compost, and recycling collected by its Member Agencies' haulers and delivered to the PCA contractor for processing and disposal. Those fees cover the agency's budget, its Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program, the PCA contractor’s expense, and regulatory fees.
The RecycleMore Board approves a budget in June, when the primary revenue source (the PCA rates) is not increased until January 1, which can inherently result in a deficit in necessary revenue for the July 1 through December 31 period. Since rates are not adjusted until January 1st, the rates funding the budget are aligned for only six months of each fiscal year. Additionally, rate revenue is variable as it depends on tons delivered to the PCA service provider (i.e., fewer tons result in less revenue). This potential disparity can increase the July to December deficit. For the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2026, the agency experienced a budget deficit of approximately $173,000 as a result of the difference between the adopted budget and projected year-end revenue.
September 15, 2026
City staff is requesting that the City Council approve the amendment to change the WCCIWMA fiscal year from July 1 through June 30 to January 1 through December 31, commencing January 1, 2027 (Attachment 3). This change will require simple revisions to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JEPA) that must be approved by the governing body of each Member Agency in order for the change to become effective.
If all of the Member Agencies approve the amendment before October 2026, RecycleMore staff will notify its Board of Directors of the change to the fiscal year and present a restated budget for fiscal year 2027 (January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2027) that will align the budget decision-making with the 2027 rate-setting cycle.
A summary of the key rationale for changing to the agency’s fiscal year includes the following:
1. Enable City staff to present information to the City Council that is necessary to understand the complete rate impact on ratepayers of establishing rates for both collection services and post-collection services during the City’s rate-setting process.
2. Provide the Authority Board the opportunity to understand the estimated rate impact of the Authority’s operating budget during the rate-setting process.
3. Provide the Authority Board the opportunity to understand all components of the Authority’s post-collection rate (PCA expense, HHW Program expense, regulatory fees, and Authority operating budget) when reviewing and considering the budget.
4. Provide Authority staff the opportunity to propose a budget that includes a revenue projection based on the best available information and is tied to the actual rates charged to ratepayers for the full subsequent calendar year.
The JEPA provides that amendments require approval of a Resolution by the Authority Board of Directors followed by approval from the governing body of each Member Agency.
The Authority Board of Directors approved Resolution No. 26-12 on June 11, 2026, directing the Executive Director to ask the Member Agencies to consider executing the amendment to change the fiscal year (Attachment 2). City staff recommends the City Council adopt the attached resolution approving the first amendment to the JEPA to change WCCIWMA’s fiscal year to January 1 through December 31, commencing January 1, 2027, and direct the Mayor to execute the amendment to the JEPA.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Draft Resolution
Attachment 2 – West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority Resolution No. 26-14 approved on June 11, 2026
Attachment 3 – First Amendment to the Fifth Amendment and Restatement Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement