Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jim Eggemeyer, Director, Office of Sustainability
Subject: Amendment to the Agreement with Cascadia Consulting, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the agreement with Cascadia Consulting, Inc. increasing the amount by $99,636 to an amount not to exceed $410,525.
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BACKGROUND:
The Sustainability Academy (formerly known as the Recycle Works Volunteer Academy) was established in the summer of 2014. The Academy serves county residents by providing environmental educational opportunities and promoting more sustainable solid waste management methods. The program helps the County comply with State legislation (AB 939) that requires all jurisdictions to implement its Integrated Waste Management Plan, a component of which includes outreach and engagement.
For the past five years, the County has contracted with Cascadia Consulting, Inc. to support with Academy curriculum development and logistics. In the summer of 2018, the agreement with Cascadia Consulting, Inc. expired and Office of Sustainability (OOS) staff issued another RFP for services. After a competitive selection process, staff selected Cascadia Consulting, Inc. as the contractor and established a three-year agreement. Cascadia has demonstrated outstanding skill in supporting OOS staff to create quality educational environments and has developed a unique familiarity with the program.
The Academy offers annually:
- One Master Resource Conservation course per year (six weeks long)
- One Master Composter course per year (nine weeks long)
- Three-session workshop series on mending, green home cleaning, etc.
- Nine short composting workshops per year (not part of the Cascadia agreement, and executed through agreement waivers with three individual instructors)
- Four Fixit Clinics per year (not part of the Cascadia agreement)
- Three to four socials per year (participants share ideas, network, and build community)
The short workshops, which are offered throughout the County, provide the public with a more accessible exposure and introduction to environmental topics, whereas the master courses support community members with an opportunity to learn in greater depth on topics like soil ecology, climate change, and food systems. After completing a master course, participants are required to complete forty hours of volunteer work and OOS staff often assist participants in finding meaningful volunteering experiences.
Over the past two years, an active volunteer community of over 40 people at the Academy have completed over 1,000 hours of volunteer service. Over the last four years, the Academy has reached over 2,000 people. County staff have partnered with over ten nonprofits and community groups in San Mateo County, six different libraries, and three different County departments as part of this program.
DISCUSSION:
In order to streamline the program, serve diverse and demonstrated community interests, and to help bring about the awareness and behavior change needed to meet waste diversion goals, OOS staff propose an expansion in the topic and number of workshops offered in the program. The amendment proposes to include the home composting workshops on the Cascadia agreement (and reduce these to a total of six per year), while expanding the number of non-home-composting, single-session workshops from three to fifteen per year. The amended agreement would authorize a total of 21 workshop sessions, as well as additional funds to support community members’ demonstrated need in receiving travel stipends to attend class. New topics may include recycling, mending, and more culturally relevant curriculum for Latino, African-American, and Asian-Pacific Islander communities. All new proposed workshops would be carried out in partnership with nonprofit groups and/or existing community groups.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment(s) of the County’s fiscal obligations up to a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate) without Board approval.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the amended agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This amendment will increase the amount of the Agreement by $99,636 to a new not-to-exceed amount of $410,525. Funding for this amendment is from the AB 939 Fund Account, which is designated for waste reduction and diversion programs. Appropriations for the services related to the Amended Agreement have been included in the Office of Sustainability’s FY 2019-21 Adopted Budget and will be included in future fiscal years as needed.
ATTACHMENT:
A. Amendment to Agreement with Cascadia Consulting, Inc.