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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-06-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - PROJ POLLUTION ENVIRON EDUCATE (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS City Manager Approval: Item to be presented bX: Amelia Rietzel DATE: June 13, 2000 SUBJECT: PROJECT POLLUTION PREVENTION ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM YEAR TWO CONTRACT APPROVAL DEPARTMENT: Planning & Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council receive a report regarding the Community Environmental Outreach Plan for FY 2000201 and City Council award contract in the amount of $166,800 to Rogers & Associates. Funding is available in both FY 199940 in the amount of $127,100 and requested in the proposed, FY 2000-'01 budget in the amount of $39,700 to fully fund this contract for $166,800. BACKGROUND In 1989 and 1994 the City became subject to the requirements of state and federal laws regarding decreasing waste going to landfills (AB 939) and reducing pollution entering local waterways and the ocean due to non -point source urban run-off pollution (NPDES Permit). Both of these regulations contain significant public education and behavior modification requirements. Over the years the City has undertaken various efforts to meet these requirements through the development of recycling and stormwater pollution brochures. In 1999, the City embarked on a new effort to consolidate and update the education program through beginning the Project Pollution Prevention ... Preserving Our Quality of Life environmental education program. The program relates pollution prevention with quality of life in recognition and support of the City Council's adopted sustainability strategy and work plan. The City has defined sustainability as "preserving the quality of life we enjoy today for future generations" through balancing five key elements of the community: 1) strong, stable economy, 2) resources/environment, 3) community/belonging, 4) place making/urban design and 5) equal opportunity. Project Pollution Prevention is the first of many City and community programs that may link to the idea of creating a sustainable community. In its first year Project Pollution Prevention (P3) has been very successful. A listing of significant activities is attached for your review. The program has reached the community in ways that the City has never attempted before. The level of effort and expertise needed to effectively communicate environmental and behavior change messages to 150,000 people is substantial. The outreach plan and materials were showcased at a recent gathering of NIFi� i local government environmental professionals. All were very impressed and proved once again that the City is a leader among local governments. Year two of the P3 education program will continue the message of preserving quality of life through pollution prevention. The program will focus on outreach to youth and businesses with a continued effort in the residential area. The attached scope of work details exactly what will be done during the year. Some highlights include: • Partner with County Environmental Defender Program in local elementary schools to give Santa Clarita's message. • Develop high school program to "carry your garbage for a week" to demonstrate how much trash we generate everyday. • Develop a waste reduction workbook to help builders reduce trash in construction projects. • Educate most polluting sectors of the business community through providing easy to follow clean practices. • Continue targeted industry seminars with VIA and Chamber of Commerce. • Feature businesses with successful waste reduction programs in the local media in concert with City's new waste audit program. • Create a new and improved commercial recycling guide to assist haulers to reach the 75% diversion goal. • Continue business and residential pledge drives. • Conduct child essay contest with local newspaper. • Conduct additional promotions with a local hardware store and with a fast food restaurant. • Create a new event in concert with the City's 4' of July parade and picnic to "declare your independence from pollution" to raise awareness of reusing and recycling picnic and party items. • Develop child related activities for the P3 booth used at various events throughout the year. P3 is the most positive aspect of the City's environmental program. It serves to balance the City's mandated role as regulator and enforcer of state and federal priorities with the City's need to develop and maintain good will in the community. Funding for this contract is available due to staff vacancies and the resultant delay in several programs during the year. These programs have been included in the contract scope of work for the coming year. Rogers & Associates, the consultant hired to create and implement the City's outreach plan, is also a contractor for the County of Los Angeles' Environmental Education & Outreach Program, of which the City of Santa Clarita is a partner. Through this partnership, the City has realized tremendous cost savings and leverage in providing high quality environmental education to our community. Implementation of the Project Pollution Prevention Program, along with the Countywide Stormwater Public Education Program, fully meet all outreach requirements of the City's NPDES Permit and Recycling Program. Rogers & Associates will provide a brief presentation to the City Council to discuss the accomplishments of year one and the goals of year two of P3. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. No other alternative actions identified by staff. 2. Other action as determined by Council. FISCAL IMPACT Funding is available in both FY 1999200 and requested in FY 2000201 to fully fund this contract. ATTACHMENTS Project Pollution Prevention: Year 1 Accomplishments Budget & Scope of Work AJR: S: \PBS\ ENVSRVCS\ COUNCIL\ GENERAL\ccp3yr2.DOC I:�IYVC .1u� �Y PROJECT POLLUTION PREVENTION YEAR 1 ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Achieved significant media coverage of the launch of Project Pollution Prevention through a press conference and other activities. Mayor Darcy established as program spokesperson. • Established sponsorship/partnership relations with the Chamber of Commerce and the Valencia Industrial Association. Both groups are very excited about the program's ability to help their member businesses save money through waste and pollution reduction. • Obtained 23 local business sponsors for the program, including Magic Mountain, Remediation Financial, Blue Barrel, Santa Clarita Disposal, Atlas Disposal and Quality Paper Fibers. • Established a P3 Hotline that includes telephone -based information regarding the City's environmental programs. P3 is also on the City's webpage. The pledge can be taken on line. • Distributed pledge forms with P3 refrigerator magnets to 42,000 households throughout the City. Received more than 1,200 residential pledges to date. Business is the focus of the 2"' year of P3. • Redesigned and updated City environmental brochures, created pledge forms and effectively "branded" the program to increase community recognition of environmental messages. • New residents will receive P3 information through 37 developers and multi -family dwelling managers who will be including pledges and information in their new residents/home buyer packages. • Successful events for the year included: River Rally, Home & Business Expo., VIA Monthly Luncheon, Chamber Monthly Networking Meeting, and Chamber Environmental Task Force Seminar. • Advertising in local news media included encouragement to Take the Pledge and Thank You advertisements recognizing P3 sponsors and residents and businesses who took the pledge. • Monthly environmental column in the Magazine of Santa Clarita. • Local "green purchasing" promotions with local businesses: HOWS Market at Thanksgiving and the Pet Pledge at PetCo in May. • Conducted elementary school "Keep Santa Clarita Clean All Year Long" poster contest. Poster was delivered to schools, libraries, public buildings and businesses for display all year. • P3 quarterly newsletter developed and sent to all pledgees. Already received positive response from those receiving it. • P3 decal for businesses that take the pledge for display to the community that the business is working with them to preserve quality of life in Santa Clarita. In 1998 the City of Santa Clarita's Environmental Services Division (ESD) hired Rogers & Associates (R&A) to develop a strategic environmental outreach plan. The plan served as a blueprint for ESD's outreach activities to raise awareness, participation and support of environmental programs, quality of life and services available within the City. Subsequently, ESD hired R&A to assist in implementation of that plan. The partnership between ESD and R&A has been extremely successful, starting with the launch of the City's Project Pollution Prevention campaign in September 1999. Together, ESD and R&A have raised awareness of environmental issues that are important to residents of Santa Clarita (SC) and encouraged residents and businesses to take action to protect the local environment and preserve quality of life. Following are highlights: • Successfully launched the Project Pollution Prevention campaign Well -attended press conference resulted in significant media coverage Mayor Darcy participated as spokesperson VIA, SC Chamber and 23 local businesses were enlisted as sponsors New Pollution Prevention Hotline was also launched Project Pollution Prevention street banners (with hotline number) were displayed throughout City; cost was underwritten entirely by local businesses • Designed the Pollution Prevention Pledge, which is a cornerstone of the campaign -- more than 1,200 residential and businesses have taken the pledge, promising to take simple actions to protect the local environment • Developed informational brochures for residents and businesses > Business/residential pledge brochures > Residential recycling brochure > Stormwater brochure > Composting brochure • Partnered with the City's waste haulers to include pledge cards and refrigerator magnets with the Pollution Prevention Hotline number in the January 2000 waste hauler bill mailing to 42,000 households; waste haulers underwrote costs of mailing • Sent a mailing to 55 local developers and apartment managers that resulted in requests for 2,700 pledge brochures for new homeowner/new resident packets • Designed and produced Project Pollution Prevention booth, which has been present at the following events: River Rally > Home & Business Expo VIA Monthly Luncheon Chamber Monthly Meeting Page 2 Budget/Scope of Work Planned promotions in partnership with local businesses HOWS Market and PETCO; used these promotions as an opportunity to: Distribute environmental information Encourage people to take the Pollution Prevention Pledge Identify environmentally friendly products, which were offered at a discount by the stores during the promotions Established a partnership with the Magazine of Santa Clarita > ESD ran acknowledgement and thank you ads > Magazine invited ESD to write a monthly environmental column, reaching more than 60,000 residents per month • Elementary School Poster Contest More than 300 school children entered the contest > Top three winners were recognized in a media release and at May 9 City Council meeting First -place winning drawing was featured on a calendar poster More than 2,000 calendar posters were distributed to schools and local public and private establishments to be posted through March 2001 • Created display decal for business supporters, to let their customers know they support Project Pollution Prevention • Designed quarterly newsletter to be sent to residents who take the pledge and for distribution at events and at City Hall; first issue (Spring 2000) has been mailed • Created Best Management Practices (BMP) information sheets to be mailed to targeted local businesses Based on these successes, ESD would like to extend the contract with R&A for another 13 months, from July 1, 2000, through July 31, 2001. Following is the proposed 2000-2001 scope of work and budget for R&A's efforts on behalf of the City of Santa Clarita. Note that the budget has been divided into four categories: Residential, School, Business and General. A budgeted amount has been provided for each category for 13 months (July 1, 2000, through July 31, 2001). This budget is based on discussions with ESD regarding the activities for which R&A will be responsible. Fees and expenses will be charged against these category amounts on a monthly basis as work is performed. All outreach plan items not specifically listed will be the responsibility of ESD. SC agrees to allow category adjustments to be made (funds moved from one category to another) if necessary, as long as the total budget amount of the contract is not exceeded. Page 3 Budget/Scope of Work Residential: R&A's responsibilities will include the following: • Coordinate a second waste hauler mailing (SC and waste haulers will print and mail) • Coordinate mailing to potential supporters in City (SC will print and mail) Assist ESD with quarterly newsletter (SC will print and distribute newsletters) Draft, design and produce four issues of newsletter Coordinate website posting of newsletter articles Draft, design and produce Household Hazardous Waste brochure (SC will print and distribute) • Develop and coordinate partnership promotions, i.e. newspaper essay contest, media -sponsored pledge drive, additional local business promotions and e of July promotion (when booth appearance is involved, SC will set up and staff booth) • Develop new booth activities and materials (SC will print materials) • Assist ESD with event coordination, as needed (when booth appearance is involved, SC will set up and staff booth) • Assist ESD with advertising program (SC to pay for ad placement) Develop advertising plan Provide consultation on advertising development • Conduct other activities as needed, i.e. news release to acknowledge one-year anniversary of SC's Project Pollution Prevention, edit monthly Magazine of Santa Clarita columns as needed, write two articles for the Homeowner's Association newsletter and provide website consultation and coordination Fees: $ 60,784 Expenses: 19,726 Subtotal: $ 80,510 School: R&A's responsibilities will include the following: • Develop elementary school outreach program > Create ESD introduction to be given when the new LA County Environmental Defenders assembly program is presented at SC schools Develop SC -specific materials to be handed out with the Environmental Defenders teacher packets • Develop high school outreach program Establish partnerships with appropriate media and environmental group Develop and implement program Fees: $ 11,085 Expenses: 1,833 Subtotal: $ 12,918 Page 4 Budget/Scope of Work Business: R&A's responsibilities will include the following: • Draft, design and produce Construction/Demolition booklet (SC will print and distribute) • Coordinate Best Management Practices mailing to targeted local businesses (SC will print, provide mailing list and mail) • Assist ESD with planning and development of two business seminars (SC will print materials as needed and conduct seminars) • Manage waste audit media profiles program, i.e. pitch stories .to local media; draft and place article in Chamber of Commerce newsletter; draft, design and produce "Report of Waste Audit Successes" (SC will create database and mail) • Design and edit commercial recycling brochure (SC will write, print and distribute) Fees: $ 22,048 Expenses: 10,229 Subtotal: $ 32,277 General: R&A's responsibilities will include the following: • Provide ongoing strategic planning and consulting • Attend client meetings and participate in client conference calls as requested • Perform necessary account reporting and administration Fees: Expenses: Total Fees: Total Expenses: GRAND TOTAL: $ 33,133 7,962 Subtotal: $ 41,095 $127,050 $ 39,750 $166,800