HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformational Update - SB 1383 Short Lived Climate Pollutants - BurrtecSTAFF REPORT
CITY OF PALM DESERT
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
MEETING DATE: August 27, 2020
PREPARED BY: Heather Horning, Senior Management Analyst
REQUEST: Update on the City's implementation of Senate Bill 1383: The Short
Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Methane Waste Emissions Reduction
Act implementation, and its impact on the Burrtec Waste and Recycling
Services, LLC Franchise Agreement (Contract No. C27411)
Recommendation
Receive update on the City's implementation of Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383): The
Short Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Methane Waste Emissions Reduction Act
implementation, and its impact on the Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services, LLC
(Burrtec) Franchise Agreement (Contract No. C27411).
Strategic Plan
The proposed action has no impact on the Strategic Plan.
Background Analvsis
Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the Short Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Methane Waste
Emissions Reduction Act (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) was passed by the
Legislature in order to reduce greenhouse gases produced by organic material in the
waste stream. The new legislation will require the City to implement a variety of organic
waste reduction and recycling programs prior to January 2022. City Staff introduced this
issue to the City Council through a Study Session on November 14, 2019.
SB 1383 will have a large impact on the services the City is required to provide to its
residents and businesses. These services are not included in the City's current Waste
and Recycling Services Franchise Agreement (Agreement) with Burrtec, which expires in
May 2023, so an amendment to the Agreement will be required. In order to assist the City
with the implementation of SB 1383, including reviewing the Agreement and drafting an
amendment, the City contracted with HF&H Consultants, LLC (HF&H) to provide various
waste and recycling consulting services.
City staff worked with HF&H to complete a thorough review the existing Agreement and
identified changes that would need to be made to implement SB1383. A redline version
of the Agreement is being drafted to incorporate these changes and any other staff
requested changes or clean-up items. As soon as the first draft of the redline Agreement
August 27, 2020 - Staff Report
Update on SIB 1383 Implementation and Burrtec Franchise Agreement
Page 2 of 3
is finished by the City and HF&H, it will be presented to Burrtec for their input and review.
Burrtec will then propose how they would prefer to meet various requirements of SIB 1383
implementation and the associated rate impacts.
The City has contracted with Burrtec to provide waste and recycling services for the City
since 2006, when they received the contract through an assignment from Waste
Management Services. The current Agreement is an amendment approved in May 2015.
In recent years, Burrtec has approached the City requesting either an extraordinary rate
increase or an amendment to increase rates due to a decrease in foreign demand for
recyclables causing a drop in their market value. The Agreement allows for extraordinary
adjustments to rates at reasonable times for unusual changes in the cost of providing
services under the Agreement as long as Burrtec documents the extraordinary costs and
provides financial information for the last three years. However, the Agreement
specifically excludes changes in the market value of recyclables as an allowable reason
to request an extraordinary increase. To date Burrtec has not provided the required
documentation to complete the extraordinary increase process.
Burrtec has indicated that they would like to address the previously discussed increases
to the rate structure due to increased cost in recycling during amendment negotiations to
implement SIB 1383 requirements. Burrtec also stated a desire to extend the term of
Agreement in the amendment. Staff will receive the details of these requests with their
proposed redline Agreement.
It is important to note that if the City Council would prefer not to extend the Agreement
term, and instead go through a formal proposal process prior to the current Agreement
expiration date, then City staff would need to initiate the process in early 2021. The entire
procurement process would take about two years to complete, and the cost of a
consultant to assist with the process is estimated to cost about $150,000. In the event
that the City Council directs staff to proceed with this, an appropriation will need to be
made in the amount of the consultant's contract at the time the contract is awarded.
Upon receipt of Burrtec's proposal, staff will request direction from the City Council on
how to proceed with the proposed amendment and whether staff should undertake a
solicitation for proposals in early 2021 for the franchise agreement that expires in 2023.
August 27, 2020 - Staff Report
Update on SB 1383 Implementation and Burrtec Franchise Agreement
Page 3 of 3
Fiscal Analvsis
This action has no fiscal impact. In the event that the City Council directs staff to hire a
consultant to assist with a formal proposal process for waste and recycling services, an
appropriation would be needed in the amount of the consultant's contract at the time the
contract is awarded.
LEGAL REVIEW DEPT. REVIEW FINANCIAL
REVIEW
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Janet M. Moore
Tom Garcia, P.E.
Robert W. Hargreaves City Attorney Director of Public Works Director of Finance
City Manager, Lauri Aylaian:
VENDOR: Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services, LLC
41-575 Eclectic Street
Palm Desert, California 92260
ASSISTANT
CITY MANAGER
Andy Firestine
Andy Firestine
Assistant City Manager