Seal Beach officials are preparing for a state requirement that residents and business owners sort food and yard waste. The city will be tasked with the enforcement. State law requires it.
Last week the City Council unanimously approved extending Seal Beach’s contract with HF&H Consultants, LLC. The agreement increased the company’s pay by $25,000.
This was originally a Consent Calendar item, but District Four Councilwoman Patty Senecal pulled the item for separate discussion.
Discussion
Management Analyst Lauren Barich gave the council the staff report. (See “Background” below for details.) She explained that the company was helping Seal Beach with different California mandates related to organic waste, which she described as food waste “and that sort of thing”.
The following is not a transcript but highlights from the discussion.
She said the city has been making excellent progress on those items.
“Number one, this is an unfunded mandate from Sacramento,” Senecal said.
“We as residents will eventually be, funding this through our rates,” Senecal said.
“This is designed to keep organics out of the landfill,” Senecal said.
“That could include fruits, rind, chicken bones, bread.
And so we’re going to have to be sorting that. And my understanding is this food waste that we
“We’re going to have to sort [waste] in our homes and businesses, etc. For those of us with houses, we can put this food waste into our green bins; is where it’s going?” Senecal asked.
“That’s the idea, yes,” Barich said.
“So with our grass and clippings and all that,” Barich said.
“All of the organic matter would be together in one,” Barich said.
“And then people who don’t have the green bins from a house perspective, what are they doing with theirs?” Senecal asked.
“We would be getting bins for everyone so that everyone could do their own sorting,” Barich said.
“We have unique challenges here in Seal. We’re working with our waste management provider to address those, making sure that it meets the needs of residents and businesses,” Barich said.
“When I was looking at Cal Waste, looking through the regulation itself, I picked up on it says enforcement action,” Senecal said.
“Who the heck is going to enforce my chicken bones in with my green grass clippings?” Senecal asked.
“Where does the enforcement come in? Who’s going to write tickets to us?” Senecal asked.
Barich said jurisdictions were tasked with enforcement, putting Seal Beach in a unique position.
The city’s waste hauler would notify the city of violations. “We’ve also been working with our Community Development team with Code Enforcement looking at the most efficient ways of handling this item,” Barich said.
“It’s still in progress, since this contract has not yet been across the finish line, but to answer your question, it would be a joint effort between the city and Republic,” Barich said, referring to the city’s trash service Republic Services.
“If I may, we know this is behavior change and behavior change can take a long time,” Barich said.
“So, there is going to be a compliance component to this at some point, whether they’re looking at our trash or they’re filming it as it’s being dumped in, or some kind of feature to this.
“So I’m just letting us know that this is coming to us soon and because our trash haulers have to report to the state. So there’s going to be some type of code enforcement at some point on this on us the residents and businesses,” Senecal said.
Senecal, citing a memo from HF&H, said the additional budget the council was going to approve might not be enough to complete the negotiations.
“When I look through the scope of work, it looks very comprehensive. And so my question is: what if this additional potential not sufficient?” Senecal asked.
“What kind of money are we looking at? Are we coming back, likely with another amendment?” Senecal asked.
Barich said anything was possible. She said staff was trying to have the most efficient funding. She said staff was looking at ways to stretch the funding.
She said staff hoped the additional $25,000 would get the project off the finish line.
Senecal said crossing the finish line meant negotiating new rates with Republic Services.
Barich confirmed that was correct.
She said the city was awaiting the first draft of the rate structure from Republic. That would come in the first or second quarter of next year.
Background
According to the staff report, HF&H Consultants, LLC to help Seal Beach with an organic waste mandate from the state.
“SB 1383 was adopted to reduce the statewide disposal of organic waste, and the law grants CalRecycle the regulatory authority to achieve organic disposal reduction targets,” Barich wrote.
“Organic waste recycling is required from every waste generator, which includes residences, businesses, and government entities,” Barich wrote.
“The City has made substantial progress in its negotiations with Republic Services to update the solid waste and recycling franchise agreement, which was last updated in 1997,” Barich wrote.
“The new amended and restated agreement will reflect organic waste provisions in compliance with SB emissions reduction targets for short-lived climate-pollutants (SLCP) in various sectors of California’s economy. In addition, the City continues to make progress on related SB 1383 compliance items 1383, which established methane,” Barich wrote.
“Sufficient funds have been budgeted in the approved FY 2025-26 Waste Management Act account,” Barich wrote.
