Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Carolyn Bloede, Director, Sustainability Department
Subject: Amendment to Agreement with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District for a Compost Application Program
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the agreement with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District to continue a compost application program and assist the County in meeting its state-mandated recovered organic waste product procurement requirements, extending the term through June 30, 2026, and increasing the amount by $57,205 to an amount not to exceed $212,091.
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BACKGROUND:
In September 2016, California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) established statewide emissions reduction targets for short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, which results from the landfilling of organic waste. SB 1383 requires the State to reduce the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills by 75 percent from 2014 levels by 2025. To meet this target, millions of tons of currently disposed organic waste will be recycled into recovered organic waste products (ROWPs) such as compost, mulch, and renewable natural gas (RNG) each year. To ensure a market exists for the generated compost, mulch, and RNG, SB 1383 regulations mandate that each jurisdiction annually procure a certain amount of these products, based on the jurisdiction’s population. The County’s annual procurement target is 5,190 tons of ROWP credit.
On February 9, 2021, the Sustainability Department executed an agreement (#40000-21-D023) with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD), a County-based government agency, to evaluate options for increasing compost production and use along the south coast to support the County’s SB 1383 procurement compliance. The RCD is uniquely qualified to evaluate and conduct compost application projects given their expertise in conservation and land management in San Mateo County and their existing relationships with local farm and agricultural communities along the south coast. The original agreement was for an amount not to exceed $106,293 and had a term of February 9, 2021 to June 30, 2024.
In February 2022, the County was awarded $92,465 from the CalRecycle SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant (SB 1383 Grant) program to implement SB 1383 requirements. The Sustainability Department used a portion of this award to amend its existing agreement with RCD on June 1, 2022 to increase it by $48,593 to a total amount of $154,886 to create a first-of-its-kind farm and range land compost application program. Through the program, the RCD provides farms and ranches with assistance planning and funding compost application projects. The compost procured for these application projects counts towards the County’s SB 1383 procurement target. Between 2022 and 2023, the program provided the County with 838 tons of ROWP procurement credit.
DISCUSSION:
In February 2024, the County was awarded an additional $165,976 of SB 1383 Grant funding. To build on the momentum of the successful RCD compost application project, and to ensure continuation of service for both the County and the coastside farmers and ranchers, $57,205 of these SB 1383 Grant funds will be used to fund the continuation of the compost application program.
This program is a critical component of the County’s plan to meet its SB 1383 procurement mandates. Moreover, applying compost to farm and rangeland increases the resiliency of the County’s local agricultural industry against the impacts of climate change by improving the soil’s health, water retention capacity, and filtration. The County’s partnership with the RCD has been a model replicated by every city and town in San Mateo County, the City and County of San Francisco, Ventura County, and Alameda County.
The proposed amendment would extend the compost application program with the RCD for an additional two years, allow the RCD to fund new types of procurement projects to support the County’s SB 1383 compliance, and increase the budget by $57,205 using a portion of the County’s 2024 SB 1383 Grant award. This amendment would result in the procurement of approximately 1,404 tons of ROWP procurement credit in 2024 and 2025.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the resolution and the amendment as to form.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
CY 2024 Estimate |
CY 2025 Target |
|
Annual quantity of SB 1383 procurement credit allocated to the County |
702 tons |
702 tons |
FISCAL IMPACT:
This amendment will extend the term of the agreement to June 30, 2026. The amount of the agreement will increase by $57,205 for a total not-to-exceed value of $212,091. This agreement will be funded from the SB 1383 Grant which has been included in the 2023-24 Approved Budget and the 2024-25 Recommended Level Budget. There is no Net County Cost.