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CC- CONSENT ITEM - (1) Approval of a One-Year General Services Agreement with FoodCycle for Edible Food Recovery and Community Composting Services in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $130,000; and (2) Authorization to the City Manager to Approve Two Additional One-Year Terms in an Additional Amount Not-to-Exceed $80,000 Annually.
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Meeting Date: June 23, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Sean Singletary/Public Works - EPO
Phone Number: (310) 253-6457
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: No [X]
Public Notification: Email via GovDelivery (06/19/2025): Meetings and Agendas - Sustainability Subcommittee, Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission; Stay Informed - Community Gardening, Sustainability and Environmental Issues, Urban Forest Management, Environmental Programs and Events
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Director of Public Works, City Engineer (06/02/2025)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a one-year general services agreement with FoodCycle for edible food recovery and community composting services, in an amount not-to-exceed $130,000; and (2) authorize the City Manager to approve two additional one-year terms for an amount not-to-exceed $80,000 annually.
BACKGROUND
SB1383, California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, is a statewide law effective in 2022 that aims to reduce methane emissions from landfills and increasing food recovery, the source of much of the organic matter that sits in landfills. To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, SB 1383 requires that by 2025 California will recover 20 percent of edible food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, to feed people in need. The law directs that jurisdictions must establish food recovery programs and strengthen their existing food recovery networks; that food donors must arrange to recover the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to landfills; and food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must maintain records.
The City is responsible for tracking Edible Food Generators (EFGs) and increasing their connectivity to Food Recovery Organizations (FROs) based in the City. EFGs fall into two groups: Tier 1 (including wholesale food vendors, large supermarkets, food service providers) and Tier 2 (including hotels, health organizations with on-site food facilities, restaurants over 250 seats). EPO staff works with local EFGs and FROs to comply with mandatory reporting requirements, inspect facilities, and provide educational materials. However, there are gaps in recovery opportunities that would allow the City to divert more food from the waste stream by partnering with FROs to provide more specialized, direct-outreach activities to local businesses that fall beneath CalRecycle’s reporting thresholds.
Additionally, SB 1383 requires cities and counties to procure annually a quantity of recovered organic waste products (ROWP) to meet their annual procurement target based on population. These procurement requirements will strengthen California’s green, self-sustaining economy. Demand for these products will drive infrastructure investment and create new green collar jobs in the state. Jurisdictions can meet this target by procuring any combination of ROWP such as compost, mulch, or renewable energy from anaerobic digestion and electricity from biomass conversion. Based on its population, Culver City’s procurement target under SB 1383 is approximately 3,200 tons of organic waste product per year. Many agencies are complying with this regulation through direct service provider agreements to purchase off-site electricity produced with biogas or through the deposition of compost in another part of the state, and Culver City will have to do so as well in order to meet that high threshold. However, EPO staff has been investigating the most localized methods to meet these targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trucking and avoid purchasing materials that don’t directly benefit Culver City residents. Staff has put out a request for partners to help the City site, establish and staff a community composting hub where residents can drop off materials and pick up compost on as-needed basis, similar to what the City of Long Beach has created.
DISCUSSION
On April 3, 2025, the City posted Request for Proposals (RFP) #2651 for Edible Food Recovery and Community Composting Services. When the RFP closed on May 1, 2025, two submittals were received: FoodCycle and MCA Consultants.
Staff reviewed the proposals to gauge project understanding, approach, and experience and conducted interviews with both firms. Staff recommends hiring FoodCycle to provide these services. FoodCycle is a 501c3 non-profit that currently provides similar food recovery services to the Cities of Glendale and Santa Monica. FoodCycle has been engaged in food recovery for 20 years and has offices in Hollywood and at Love The City Center (adjacent to Telefson Park in Culver City), so they are very familiar with the City’s business base and needs. For the compost hub component, FoodCycle is partnering with LA Compost, another 501c3 with extensive local experience, including working with Culver City’s Farmer’s Market.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes sufficient funding in the amount of $130,000 to cover the costs of the first year of the agreement. The City received a grant of $110,849 from CalRecycle, (shown in Account 41460916.732120 (SB1383 - Department Special Equipment) which can be found on page 88 of the budget book. The first year’s costs will be covered by the $110,849 grant, with the remainder of the first year’s costs to be paid from 10160460.619800 (Public Works Environmental Programs/Ops - Other Contractual Services) which can be found on page 428 of the budget book. Funding for the remainder of the agreement term ($80,000 annually) will be included in future fiscal year budgets.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a one-year general services agreement with FoodCycle for Edible Food Recovery and Community Composting Services, in an amount not-to-exceed $130,000;
2. Authorize the City Manager to approve two additional one-year terms, in an additional amount not-to-exceed $80,000 annually;
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.