Due to Senate Bill 1381, Recology Sonoma-Marin will have several new required responsibilities, such as establishing an edible food recovery program and education and outreach, and in order to support addit
Recology Sonoma Marin, and all other state trash haulers, will be getting more responsibilities due to Senate Bill 1381 and consequently, Healdsburg residents will see a one-time trash rate increase adjustment of 3.3% effective Jan. 1, 2023.
SB 1381, also known as the Short Lived Climate Pollutants Act, is an unfunded state mandate that includes extensive local waste-related government requirements and requirements on businesses, and sets statewide targets for organics recovery efforts, according to a report from the R3 solid waste management consulting group.
R3 Consulting Group, Inc. representative Claire Wilson virtually attended this week’s city council meeting to provide a report on the recommended amendment to the franchise agreement between the City of Healdsburg and Recology that reflects the rate change and Recology’s new requirements under SB 1382.
The resolution approving the amendment to the franchise agreement was approved unanimously by the council. Councilmember David Hagele was absent.
SB 1382 builds on Assembly Bill 1826’s efforts to incrementally reduce disposal of organic waste and requires all generators to be provided with organic waste recycling services.
Other SB 1382 requirements include:
– Establish edible food recovery program
– Conduct education and outreach to the community
– Procure recyclable and recovered organic products
– Secure access to edible and recycling food recovery capacity
– Monitor compliance and conduct enforcement
Recology will also have to conduct trash route reviews and regularly report to the city, according to the R3 report. Another aspect of the changes is the expansion of three-container organic waste collection services.
“Organic collection routes are to be expanded to several commercial and multi-family customers. Part of this effort involves new collection trucks and properly labeled and colored waste containers to satisfy the requirements of the SB1381 regulations,” the agenda item report states.
Healdsburg Public Works Director Larry Zimmer said these changes have been discussed at council meetings multiple times.
Presentations on SB 1383 were given during council meetings on Feb. 2, 2020, Feb. 16, 2021 and on Nov. 15, 2021 and in addition, the council was informed of the upcoming rate adjustment.
“The unfunded mandates associated with that bill have required us to change our (municipal) code, which we’ve already done,” Zimmer said during the April 4 council meeting. “Many of the additional tasks required of the city have been passed on to Zero Waste Sonoma and Recology. We have made that (memorandum of understanding) with Zero Waste Sonoma at a previous council meeting and so this item is the amendment to the franchise agreement. It is the final piece.”
The one-time 3.3% rate adjustment will go into effect next year and with the change, there will be no fiscal impact to the city’s operating funds, according to the agenda report.
There were no public comments on the matter, but Councilmember Evelyn Mitchell asked whether kitchen counter compost bins would be made available to residents.
Zimmer said Zero Waste Sonoma is working on getting a grant to obtain counter compost bins.
“The intention is to get some high-quality countertop compost containers and be able to spread the word as we give them out to the community. Most likely it would be a pick up (of the containers) here at city hall,” Zimmer said.
