COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

DATE:

December 24, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 11, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Neil R. Cullen, Department of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Contributions to Bay Area-wide Regional Waste Reduction Campaigns

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Works to determine the level of the County’s contribution, to a maximum of $25,000 per year for five years (FY 2004-05 through FY 2008-09), to finance regional waste reduction campaigns of the Bay Area Regional Outreach Coalition (BayROC).

Vision Alignment

Commitment: responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal 22: county and local governments effectively communicate, collaborate and develop strategic approaches to issues affecting the entire County.

Agreeing to financially participate in BayROC aids us in meeting the waste reduction goals as mandated by AB939.

Background

Previous Board Action

Adopted Resolution No. 61625 on December 16, 1997, authorizing the County's financial participation in Bay Area Regional Waste Reduction Campaigns that has evolved into the Bay Area Regional Outreach Coalition.

History

Recycling staff from the counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda and the City and County of San Francisco, in the mid 1990s and in the wake of the passage of AB939, conceived the idea for a cooperative Bay Area-wide waste reduction outreach campaign using primarily radio and television advertising in the San Francisco Bay Area regional market, an option that is effective but usually too expensive for individual local governments to undertake. The cities and counties throughout the Bay Area contributed to the early campaigns, called Shop Smart and Save Money and the Environment Too, which focused on raising consumer awareness of environmentally savvy purchasing behaviors. This collaborative effort has become known as the Bay Area Regional Outreach Coalition or BayROC for short. BayROC currently produces between one and two campaigns each year with the two most recent campaigns focusing on buying recycled paper and reducing junk mail.

Recycling staff in Public Works (RecycleWorks staff) have been key participants in this regional effort from its inception. We have overseen and managed several contracts for the campaigns over the years in addition to providing program management and subject matter expertise.

Discussion

Our continued participation in this collaboration has several benefits for the County. It provides media waste reduction campaigns that are seen in the Bay Area that we would not other wise be able to finance. In addition, BayROC provides a forum for networking with other waste reduction and recycling staff and programs. And finally, participation in BayROC is a very visible statement to the California Integrated Waste Management Board of the good faith effort of San Mateo County to achieve and maintain compliance with AB939. Therefore, we are recommending that your Board authorize continued financial participation in BayROC campaigns over the next five years (FY 2004-05 through FY 2008-09) at the discretion of the Director of Public Works.

A resolution has been approved as to form by County Counsel.

Fiscal Impact

The maximum financial participation of the County is proposed at $25,000 per year for the next five years. This amount is proposed to be financed from the Solid Waste Fund. There is no impact to the General Fund.