sr-090809-1bCity Council Meeting: September 8, 2009
Agenda Item: ~ -~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Dean Kubani, Director -Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Subject: Contract with Community Partners, Fiscal Manager for Sustainable Works
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a professional services agreement with Community Partners, fiscal manager for ___
Sustainable Works, for the Sustainable Works Community and Business Greening
Programs that raise awareness and increase participation among residents and
businesses in the Sustainable City .Plan in the .amount of $245,500. Community
partners will receive $22,095 of the total contract amount for providing administrative
oversight, and Sustainable Works will receive the balance of $223,405 for
implementation of the programs.
Executive Summary
Council has allocated funds annually since March 1998 for outreach programs to
engage the community in the Sustainable City Plan. The non-profit organization that
provides these programs is Sustainable Works. Sustainable Works is a project of
Community Partners who provides fiscal management for the organization.
To date, Sustainable Works has engaged more than 135 Santa Monica businesses and
4,225 community members in programs that raise awareness and increase participation
in the goals and targets established in the Sustainable City Plan. Participants in these
programs have significantly reduced their water, energy and chemical use, reduced
their waste generation and improved their recycling efforts, increased the use of
alternative transportation, and improved their procurement policies. Additionally,
participants in the Sustainable Works programs have provided more than 8,650
volunteer hours in the community as a requirement of program participation.
The 2009-10 budget includes $245,500 for residential and community Sustainability
programs. The total amount of the contract with Community Partners is not to exceed
$245,500. The term of the contract will be for one year from July 1, 2009 through June
30, 2010, with an option to renew each year for an additional four years.
1
Background
On March 24, 1998, City Council authorized funds for the creation and implementation
of the Santa Monica Green Team Program, a residential environmental outreach
program, on a pilot basis for a period of 19 months. The City contracted with the Green
Team Project in May 1998 to develop a Santa Monica-specific guidebook, informational
binder and supplementary materials and to hire, train and oversee local staff persons to
implement the pilot program.
Based on the success of the pilot program, Council authorized funding for continuation
of the Green Team Program on November 23, 1999, and again on September 26,
2000. Also on September 26, 2000, Council authorized the creation of the Santa
Monica Business Greening Program to work with local businesses to help the City meet
its Sustainable City Plan goals.
In September 2002, Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement
with Los Angeles-based non-profit organization Community Partners to take over the
fiscal management of the Green Team, which changed its name to Sustainable Works,
for its specific work with the City.
Community Partners is anon-profit organization that acts as anon-profit incubator,
assisting individuals and organizations (project partners) to develop the resources and
structure necessary to become independent non-profit organizations. Community
Partners provides its project partners, including Sustainable Works, with atax-exempt
non-profit designation, financial and administrative support and technical assistance
with budgeting, financing and grant writing.
Discussion
2
The proposed professional services agreement with Community Partners, fiscal
manager for Sustainable Works, for the Sustainable Works Community and Business
Greening Programs will provide for the continued implementation of programs that raise
awareness and increase participation among residents and businesses in the
Sustainable City Plan.
To date, Sustainable Works has engaged more than 135 Santa Monica businesses and
4,225 community members in programs that raise awareness and increase participation
in the goals and targets established in the Sustainable City Plan. Additionally,
participants in the Sustainable Works programs have provided more than 8,650
volunteer hours in the community as a requirement of program participation. These
programs have resulted in significant reductions in energy use, greenhouse gas
emissions, solid waste generation, water use, and toxic chemical use among residential
and business participants, as well as producing significant cost savings for participants
(between $80 - $200 annually for residential participants and from several hundred to
several thousand dollars annually for business participants).
An RFP was developed and released in July 2009 for community sustainability
programs directed at residents, businesses and community college students.
Sustainable Works was the only respondent to the RFP. Sustainable Works is uniquely
qualified to continue. providing these programs because the curriculum and program
materials for the Sustainable Works Community and Business Greening. Programs were
developed by Sustainable Works especially for Santa Monica and in specific reference
to the Sustainable City Plan.
The activities of the Sustainable Works Community and Business Greening Programs
for FY2009-10 will receive a City grant of $245,500. As fiscal manager, Community
Partners will oversee the processing and tracking of the grant and all cash and non-
cash revenues, accounts payable and receivable, negotiation of leases and contracts,
and disbursement of program funds including grants and salaries for staffing and
implementation of the Community and Business Greening Programs. Community
3
Partners will receive $22,095 from the total grant as an administrative fee to complete
this work. Sustainable Works will receive the remaining $223,405 of the grant funds and
will be responsible for continued implementation of the Community and Business
Greening Programs. The scope of services and budget breakdown for the contract is
provided below.
Residential Greening Program: $57,000
• Green Living Workshops-150 residential participants
Student Greening Program: $51,500
• Sustainable Crews-300 student participants
Business Greening Programs: $90,500
• Business Greening Program-20 business participants
• City Division Greening-1 city division
• Green Business Certification - 20 business participants
Additional Outreach Support: $24,405
• Sustainable Quality Awards Facilitation
• Zero Waste Event Consultation and Support
• Tabling and presentations at various community events
Subtotal for Sustainable Works Scope of Work: $223,405
Community Partners Administrative Fees: $22,095
TOTAL Not To Exceed: $245,500
The City's Office of Sustainability and the Environment staff will continue to manage the
contract and provide oversight of program implementation.
4
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Funds in the amount of $245,500 are available in the Fiscal Year 2009-10 adopted
budget in account number 01226.555060. Funding for additional years will be included
in the department's proposed budget request and will be contingent -upon Council
approval
Prepared by: Shannon Parry, Sr. Environmental Analyst
Approved: Forwarded to Council:
~(-.~-.
Dean Kubani ~P~ont Ewell
Director, Office of Sustainability and the C Manager
Environment
5
Reference Contract No.
9106 (CCS).