SR-300-002 (2)~~~ .
City Council Report
~ City of
5anta Monica
City Council Meeting: June 27, 2006
Agenda Item: ~"'~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Barbara Stinchfield, Direc#or, Community and Cultural Services
Subject: Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Submit a Proposal to the
California lntegrated Waste Management Board for an Arts Reuse Program
and to Execute Grant Documents
Recommended Action
It is recommended that Council approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to
submit a proposal to the California lntegrated Waste Management Board's Reuse
Assistance Grant program and execute all necessary grant documents if grant funds are
awarded.
Executive Summary
The Environmental and Public Works Management (EPWM) and the Community and
Cultural Services (CCS) Departments propose to partner with the nonprofit agency,
Rediscover, to apply for funding to the California Waste Management Board's Reuse
Assistance Grant program. Should funding be approved, the agencies will create a
sustainable arts program that will make leftover recyclable materials from Santa
Monica-based businesses available to City youth programs, teachers within the Santa
Monica Malibu Unified School District, and Santa Monica artists.
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No cash match is required in this grant program though the Integrated Waste
Management Board requires an in-kind match of at least 50% of the final grant award.
Should the application be successful, staff will request approval by Council to ,revise
revenue and expenditure budgets as necessary.
Funding in the amount of $50,000 is requested to support Rediscover's efforts to work
with local businesses, teachers and artists to recycle discarded materials for art. They
will hold informational workshops, design and produce marketing and educational
materials, perform follow-up visits to businesses, purchase storage equipment for
donated art materials and provide training for Santa Monica Malibu Unified School
District Teachers. The in-kind match will consist of City staff time in support of the
outreach program, training of CREST and other after-school program staff in the use of
the donated materials and coordination of the program by Cultural Affairs and
Environmental Programs Division staff.
Discussion
The California lntegrated Waste Management Board conducts market development
activities to strengthen demand by manufacturers and end-use consumers for
recyclable materials collected by municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and private
entities. The agency has made $250,000 available through the Reuse Assistance Grant
Program, to encourage the development of programs and projects which make use of
these materials. The maximum grant award available is $50,000. The City previously
applied for this grant in 2005 but the application was not successful at that time.
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If successful, the grant would foster creative projects and environmental education
programs for children in Santa Monica's CREST Program and other City youth
programs, Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and local artists that reuse a
material over again in its current form without any significant processing that alters its
material structure. In so doing, these children's programs will further the goals of Santa
Monica's Sustainable City Plan.
Grant funding will enable the City in partnership with the local nonprofit agency Rediscover
to carry out the fundamentals of this sustainable program. Rediscover will work with
Environmental and Public Works Management to create a database of reusable materials
and the companies making them available
Funds will also finance Rediscover staff's efforts to collect materials including cloth, plastic
forms, scraps of wood, and other materials from participating companies. The materials
will be distributed to participating City and School District sites. From those sites, they will
be available, free of charge, as art supplies to local teachers, artists and City staff working
in youth programs. The bulk of the materials will be stored at the various sites. This
portion of the program will be overseen by CCS staff with input and assistance from
EPWM.
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Previous Council Actions
At its meeting on November 8, 2005, Council passed a resolution authorizing the City
Manager to submit a proposal to the California lntegrated Waste Management Board's
Reuse Assistance Grant program.
Contractor/Consultant Selection
City staff has been working with Rediscover for several years to develop a Santa
Monica program using recyclable materials for art supplies. The agency recently
approached CCS staff during the outreach process aimed at recruiting local agencies to
provide programming in Virginia Avenue Park. At that time, there was no funding
available, but subsequently, the Reuse Assistance Grant program was identified as a
potential funding source for such a program. If a grant is awarded, the City would
contract with Rediscover to carry out the planned program. No other nonprofit
organization has identified itself as working in both environmental and arts
programming.
Public Outreach
Working with EPWM, Rediscover will conduct on-site inspections of potential materials
and hold workshops to interest businesses in donating materials and to provide a broader
understanding of the items acceptable for the program. With assistance and oversight
provided by the Cultural Affairs Division and Human Services Division, outreach
procedures conducted by Rediscover and funded by the grant will make local teachers,
artists and City staff aware of the program, including workshops on how to obtain access
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to the materials and possible arts and crafts uses. Workshops will also serve as an
opportunity to inform local businesses, teachers, City staff, and community artists aware of
the Sustainable City Plan and its goals.
Budget/Financial Impact
This program does not require a cash match. The City's match will be made through staff
time which will not impact other programs or require overtime. Staff will seek Council
approval to increase the revenue and expenditure budgets by the appropriate amounts
if the grant is awarded.
Prepared by:
Jessica Cusick, Cu{tural Affairs Manager
Approved:
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Barbar Stin 'e
Director, De
Cultural Services
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Id
nt of Community and
Forwarded to Council:
~ont E~n
Manager
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