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Home My WebLink About2007/03/27 Item 4 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT 3/27/07 SUBMITTED BY: REVIEWED BY: RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING A $100,000 GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD (CIWMB) TIRE DERIVED PRODUCT GRANT PROGRAM; ESTABLISHING A NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, "RUBBERIZED MULCH-CITYWIDE" (PR-296) AND APPROPRIATING $100,000 IN GRANT FUNDS THEREFOR. /~ DIRECTOR OF P~IC WORKS OPERATIONS/ r CITY MANAGER dl ITEM TITLE: 4/5THS VOTE: YES X NO BACKGROUND The City has been awarded a grant from the CIWMB State Tire Derived Product (TDP) Grants Program to help meet project costs associated with the "Rubberized Mulch- Citywide" project. The project will provide material for use in landscaping and weed abatement around city-owned facilities, and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to the wood-based products currently in use. BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION N/A RECOMMENDATION That the Council adopt the resolution: . Accepting $100,000 in unanticipated CIWMB Tire Derived Product (TDP) Grant Program funds; and . Establishing a new Capital Improvement Project, "Rubberized Mulch-Citywide" (PR-296); and . Appropriating $100,000 into the "Rubberized Mulch-Citywide" Project, from the State Grant Fund. 4-1 3/27/07, Item~ Page 2 of3 DISCUSSION City-owned facilities and City streets are enhanced with thousands of square feet of landscaped medians and garden beds. To reduce irrigation costs and to protect delicate root systems, the City generally applies a 2-4" layer of wood mulch. Increasingly, alternative products are becoming available that not only meet these two basic landscaping requirements, but that offer additional benefits. One of these alternatives is a ground cover or mulch made from recycled California tires. Tires are chipped into pieces, colored and used in place of wood mulch. The resulting material has the attractive appearance of regular wood mulch but has many cost advantages and enviromnental benefits: . Compared to wood mulch, tire-derived mulch is far more durable. Because it does not decompose and retains color integrity over a long period of time, it requires less frequent replacement. This will be a significant cost savings to the City. . Tire-derived product is also more cost effective to use because it requires less irrigation. Unlike wood mulch, it does not readily absorb the irrigation water but instead directs the water to the earth below. . Tire-derived mulch stays in place better than the lighter-weight tree bark, but still allows aeration of the soil. . Tire-derived mulch is a deterrent to insects, cats and dogs; thus helping to promote cleaner, healthier common spaces. . Rubberized mulch can also be used for playgrounds and tot lots with the same enviromnental benefits, including ADA compliance. The base cost of tire-derived product is higher than the cost of wood muIch ($200 versus $32 per cubic yard). However, the grant is offsetting 100% of the purchase. After utilizing the tire-derived product for over a year, staff will perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the tire-derived mulch generates replacement, irrigation, and maintenance cost savings to the City. If so, staff will include alternative products such as this one in future budget cycles to place at various locations throughout all City parks. Finally, using tire-derived ground cover helps promote a sustainable enviromnent. This product does not require cutting down trees. Moreover, it helps meet California's goal to decrease the adverse enviromnental impacts created by stockpiled waste tires. The proposed project is also aligned with the City of Chula Vista's own Council-adopted policy to use enviromnentally preferable products whenever practical - in particular, products manufactured with post-consumer recycled material. As a condition of the grant agreement, the City will be required to supply and post small CIWMB "Zero Waste California!" sponsorship signs at project site(s), at a cost to the General Fund ofless than $3,000. 4-2 3/27/07, Item~ Page 3 00 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the project qualifies for a Class I categorical exemption pursuant to Section 1530 1 (c) (Existing Facilities) of the State CEQA Guidelines because the material will be used to maintain existing landscape areas. Thus, no further environmental review is necessary. DECISION MAKER CONFLICT Conflict but Exception Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council and has found that Councilman Ramirez has property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the property which is the subject of this action. Although this could create a conflict for the Councilman, pursuant to California Code of Regulations section 18704.2 no conflict exists. FISCAL IMPACT The $100,000 project cost will be 100% reimbursed during FY 2007 with unanticipated grant funds from the California Integrated Waste Management Board Tire-Derived Product (TDP) Program grant. The maximum $3,000 cost for required signage will be borne by the General Fund. 4-3 RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING A $100,000 GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD (CIWMB) TIRE DERIVED PRODUCT GRANT PROGRAM; ESTABLISHING A NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, "RUBBERIZED MULCH-CITYWIDE" (PR- 296) AND APPROPRIATING $100,000 IN GRANTS THEREFOR WHEREAS, the City has been awarded a grant from the CIWMB State Tire Derived Product (TOP) Grants Program to help meet project costs associated with the "Rubberized Mulch Citywide" project; and WHEREAS, City-owned facilities and City streets are enhanced with thousands of square feet of landscaped medians and garden beds; and WHEREAS, to reduce irrigation costs and to protect delicate root systems, the City generally applies a 2-4" layer of wood mulch; and WHEREAS, increasingly, alternative products are becoming available that not only meet these two basic landscaping requirements, but that offer additional benefits; and WHEREAS, one of these alternatives is a ground cover or mulch made from recycled California tires; and WHEREAS, the resulting material has the attractive appearance of regular wood mulch but has many cost advantages and environmental benefits; and WHEREAS, the base cost of tire-derived product is higher than the cost of wood mulch ($200 versus $32 per cubic yard); and WHEREAS, however, the grant is offsetting 100% of the purchase; and WHEREAS, after utilizing the tire-derived product for over a year, staff will perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the tire-derived mulch generates replacement, irrigation, and maintenance cost savings to the City; and WHEREAS, if so, staff will include alternative products such as this one in future budget cycles to place at various locations throughout all City parks; and WHEREAS, as a condition of the grant agreement, the City will be required to supply and post small CIWMB "Zero Waste California!" sponsorship signs at project site(s), at a cost to the General Fund of less than $3,000. 4-4 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista does hereby approve accepting a $100,000 grant from the California lritegrated Waste management Board (CIWMB) Tire Derived Product Grant Program; establishing a new Capital Improvement Project, "rubberized mulch-citywide" (PR-296) and appropriating $100,000 in grants therefore. Presented by Approved as to form by Dave Byers Director of Public Works Operations ~)C~~~ Ann Moore City Attorney 4-5