Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jim Eggemeyer, Director Office of Sustainability
Subject: Agreement with Planting Justice for Sustainability Academy Program Design and Support at the Maple Street Correctional Center
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Planting Justice for support designing and implementing environmental educational programming for inmates at the Maple Street Correctional Center for the term of September 4, 2018 to September 3, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $421,675.
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BACKGROUND:
The Sustainability Academy (formerly known as the Volunteer Academy) serves all County residents by providing diverse and relevant environmental educational opportunities since 2014. The Academy’s main goal is to reduce the amount of solid waste generated in the County by promoting more sustainable solid waste management methods in communities throughout the County. The Academy is designed to help the County comply with state legislation (AB939) that requires all jurisdictions to have an Integrated Waste Management Plan, a component of which must include outreach and engagement. The Academy is one of the primary ways the County reaches its residents with resources and education to reduce the amount of generated solid waste.
The Academy has historically provided educational programming focused on composting to the general public. However, in an effort to further reduce the solid waste generated by County residents and to continue to raise awareness about environmental issues facing our communities, the Academy has broadened the diversity of its offerings and the residents it reaches. As part of this effort, the County is launching a new Academy program that will serve the inmates of the Maple Street Correctional Center (MSCC) and further reduce solid waste sent to the landfill.
The program will offer environmental and sustainability oriented coursework and job training opportunities to inmates in the work furlough program at the MSCC. These offerings will include content tailored to the needs and interests of inmates, while still similar to the content available to the general public. Through this program, local inmates will learn about sustainability and solid waste management and develop skills that can be used once released from incarceration.
DISCUSSION:
On May 3, 2018, the Office of Sustainability (OOS) released an RFP for Sustainability Academy programming services. These services will be provided to the general public and to inmates at MSCC. The solicitation process closed on May 30, 2018. Six applications were received. The review committee, consisted of four individuals with topic-area expertise within the OOS, met on June 11, 2018 to evaluate and score all the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP. The committee ranked Planting Justice second (behind Cascadia) for its ability to deliver programming to the general public but ranked it much higher in its abilities to deliver programming in the jail. Staff realized the potential for Planting Justice to support the entire scope of work identified earlier by OOS and Sheriff’s Office staff and drafted a separate scope of work. A Notice of Intent to award contracts to both Cascadia and Planting Justice was released and contract negotiations began on June 21, 2018.
The Academy has a strong history in serving members of the general public within the County. However, in looking to expand the reach and deepen the relevance of its environmental programming, County staff identified a partnership with staff at the MSCC as an ideal way to accomplish this goal. Not only is the MSCC an excellent facility within which to demonstrate environmentally sustainable principles and instruct inmates on sustainability related principles, it is also an ideal location for the Office of Sustainability to attend to issues relating to socio-economic sustainability.
Expanding the reach of the Sustainability Academy into the MSCC will help the County fulfill the requirements of AB939 by improving the reach and depth of its outreach and engagement efforts surrounding solid waste reduction efforts.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form. The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 in the aggregate.
Approval of this agreement contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcomes of an environmentally conscious community by providing resources and educational opportunities for inmates and residents to improve the sustainability of their daily lives, and increasing environmental awareness in ways that are personally and professionally relevant.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES AT MSCC:
|
Measure |
FY 2018-2019 Target |
FY 2019-2020 Target |
FY 2020-2021 Target |
|
Number of participants |
15 |
15 |
20 |
|
Average participant satisfaction rating (out of 5) |
4/5 |
4.5/5 |
4.5/5 |
PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR GENERAL PUBLIC WORKSHOPS:
|
Measure |
FY 2018-2019 Target |
FY 2019-2020 Target |
FY 2020-2021 Target |
|
Number of participants |
150 |
180 |
220 |
|
Average participant satisfaction rating (out of 5) |
4.4/5 |
4.5/5 |
4.7/5 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the Agreement is September 4, 2018 to September 3, 2021 and the not-to-exceed amount of $421,675, with each year of proposed work being authorized by County staff before the following year of work commences. The budgeted amounts are included in the FY 2018-19 Recommended Budget and will be included in the FY 2019-21 Recommended Budgets.
|
Funding Source |
|
100% |
AB 939 Fund |