HomeMy WebLinkAboutD-3 Staff Report - Approve Proposed Changes to Athens Franchise AgreementSCHEDULED ITEM
D-3
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
VIA: SERGIO GONZALEZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: MANNY ROBLEDO, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
DATE: AUGUST 16, 2021
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF NECESSARY MEASURES TO COMPLY WITH SENATE BILL 1383
AND DIRECTION REGARDING POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS TO THE ATHENS
SERVICES FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
BACKGROUND:
The City of Azusa has an exclusive franchise agreement with Arakelian Enterprises, Incorporated dba
Athens Services in providing refuse collection and recycling services since October 2000. The agreement
has not been updated since then except for necessary amendments to comply with any changes in the law
and extraordinary cost adjustments allowed in the agreement. In order to comply with Senate Bill 1383,
the trash collection and recycling services provided to Azusa residents and businesses will require
significant changes in the agreement. There are also proposed enhancements to the contract that will
provide additional value to residents and businesses as the City continues to grow and change.
At the City Council study session held on July 26, 2021, Athens Services presented a proposed amendment
to their franchise agreement, which included additional services for compliance with the requirements of
SB 1383 and the provision of clean city initiatives in the downtown area. Athens Services has since revised
its proposal to address City Council comments received at the study session, as shown below in Additional
Contract Enhancements Items 2, 4, & 9 and highlighted in yellow in Attachment 1.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council take the following actions:
1) Provide direction regarding SB 1383 compliance and franchise agreement enhancements
proposed by Arakelian Enterprises, Incorporated dba Athens Services and direct Staff to i)
negotiate an amended franchise agreement for consideration at the September 20, 2021 City
Council Meeting and ii) prepare an SB 1383 compliance ordinance for consideration at the
November 1, 2021 City Council Meeting.
APPROVED
CITY COUNCIL
8/16/2021
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
Page 2
ANALYSIS:
In 2016, Senate Bill 1383 (Short-Lived Climate Pollutants) was signed into law in a statewide effort to
reduce short-lived climate pollutants, namely methane emissions created by organic waste, dairy, and
livestock. The bill sets statewide targets to reduce organic waste sent to landfills and rescue at least 20%
of edible food currently thrown away. Pursuant to SB 1383, jurisdictions, including the City of Azusa, are
mandated to require, by ordinance and enforcement mechanisms, all residents and businesses to divert
organic waste from landfills to recycling facilities; recover at least 20% of edible food instead of throwing
it away; and procure recycled organic waste products for use within the City. The new law is effective on
January 1, 2022.
SB 1383 is the most significant waste reduction mandate to be adopted in California in the last 30 years. It
builds upon AB 1826, the Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling Law, which jurisdictions have been
implementing since 2016. Methane emissions resulting from the decomposition of organic waste in
landfills are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to global climate change.
Organic materials account for a significant portion of California's overall waste stream. Organic waste
means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, organic textiles and carpet, lumber, wood,
paper products, printing and writing paper, manure, biosolids, digestate, and sludge. The statewide goal is
to reduce methane emissions from organic waste disposed of in landfills by increasing food waste
prevention, encouraging edible food rescue, and expanding composting and organic waste anaerobic
digestion facilities throughout the state.
Senate Bill 1383 COMPLIANCE
The following summarizes the requirements for the City of Azusa to comply with SB 1383 and overview
of Athens Services Proposal to help the City comply. More details are provided in the attached proposal.
1) Provide organics collection services to all residents and businesses.
SB 1383 requires each jurisdiction to provide all residents and businesses organic waste collection service,
track contamination of the organic waste stream with refuse, provide training and education to residents
and business with excessive contamination, and may impose penalties to violators beginning in 2024.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
Currently, residential customers purchase their own trash receptacles. In this program, Athens will provide
compliant and standardized trash receptacles. The list of acceptable materials in each container will be
discussed by Athens Services.
• Single Family Collection Service
Athens to provide a 3-barrel automated collection program with the standard level of service that
includes (1) 96-gallon trash, (1) 96-gallon recycle, and (1) 96-gallon organics barrel and unlimited
bulky waste collection during trash day with 24-hour advance notice.
• Multi-Family (MF) Collection Service
MF with 1-4 units will have the option to subscribe to barrel service.
MF with 5 units or more will be required to subscribe to bin service for mixed waste collection and
barrel service for organics. MF customers will also get unlimited bulky waste collection with 24-hour
advance notice.
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
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• Commercial & Multi-Family Organics Program
MF with 5 units or more and commercial customers will be required to subscribe to bin service for
mixed waste collection and barrel service for organics. Athens Services is proposing a hybrid program
for organics, in which the customer will receive a declining credit to cover part of the organics barrel
service, as shown in Table 1. In year 4, customers will no longer receive a credit, and will be paying
the full amount listed in the rate sheet for organics service required by SB 1383.
Table 1. Organics Hybrid Program Payment Structure
2) Pass a Mandatory Organics Recycling Ordinance.
Jurisdictions are required to pass an ordinance to have an inspection and enforcement program designed to
ensure all trash generators recycle organic waste. Athens proposal will help the City in its enforcement
program.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Provide monitoring of the collection routes and track contamination in the waste stream by conducting
ongoing reviews.
• Conduct quarterly route reviews for commercial and residential customers and document findings and
capture photos to be stored in a database as required by SB 1383.
• Provide data and documentation to support the City in administering enforcement actions.
3) Establish a program to recover 20% of edible food.
SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to establish an edible food recovery program to recover 20% edible food
instead of disposing in landfill. Food service establishments that meet the criteria will be required to work
with a food recovery organization.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Provide $50,000 in annual support to assist in developing a food recovery program.
• Identify Tier 1 & 2 food generators and food recovery partners.
• Provide education and outreach needed for food generators.
4) Conduct education and outreach to all affected parties.
SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to conduct education and outreach to all residents, businesses (including
those generating edible food that can be donated), facilities, and agencies on collection service
requirements, contamination prevention, self-haul requirements, edible food recovery program, and overall
compliance with SB 1383.
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
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Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Enhance existing outreach and education program that will include in-person, print and electronic
media.
• Track, record, manage, and store the data gathered from these outreach efforts to assist the City in
reporting back to CalRecycle.
• Assess and verify businesses that may qualify for a waiver. The City has final determination whether a
business qualifies for a waiver according to SB 1383 guidelines.
5) Procure recycled-content paper products and recovered organic products.
Each jurisdiction will have an annual target to procure a quantity of recovered organic waste products, such
as renewable gas, energy from biomass conversion, compost, and mulch. The law also requires jurisdictions
to procure recycled-content paper products meeting Federal Trade Commission guidelines. Jurisdictions
will be required to maintain records in order to show they have met their annual procurement target and
report their procurement activities to CalRecycle annually.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Utilize Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) in collection vehicles to count towards the City’s
procurement target.
• Provide two compost giveaways per year.
6) Evaluate infrastructure and plan for adequate capacity for organic waste processing and edible food
recovery.
The regulations require each jurisdiction to evaluate current infrastructure for organic waste recycling and
facility for edible food recovery and plan new infrastructure that will adequately process future organic
waste collection and edible food recovered. Each county will lead this effort by coordinating with the cities
in the county to assess existing, new or expanded capacity.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Athens Services has invested millions of dollars in technology, building new facilities, and
improving their current facilities to meet the requirements of SB 1383. These facilities are available
to the City to adequately process future organic waste collected from Azusa customers.
7) Keep records and report compliance and enforcement to CalRecycle.
Jurisdictions are required to maintain records and report annually to CalRecycle on organic collection
service compliance, waivers, education & outreach, edible food recovery program outcome, procured
organic waste products and recycled paper products, and all inspection and enforcement activities.
Athens’ Compliance Proposal:
• Utilize Soft-Pak database to monitor and report activities with customized tracking codes specific to
the City.
• Monitor and record the following to assist the City in their enforcement program:
-container contamination reporting, complaint reporting, generator waivers, outreach reporting, food
recovery program support, etc.
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
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ADDITIONAL CONTRACT ENHANCEMENTS:
While SB 1383 is the center of the proposed changes to the refuse and recycling agreement, Athens Services
has proposed the following enhancements to the contract:
1) Electronic Waste Collection – Athens Services has offered to provide a permanent roll off to the City,
to be located in a central location accessible to residents, for ongoing e-waste collection plus additional
two (2) electronic waste drop-off events for residents only per year.
2) Abandoned Bulky Pickup – Athens Services has offered to provide collection service for abandoned
items in public right of way within 24 hours. Currently this is done by City staff.
3) Customer Service and Billing - due to the complexities of SB 1383, Athens has offered to transition the
customer service and residential billing functions currently performed by City Staff to Athens Services.
Athens Services currently bills commercial customers. This will also streamline training and outreach
efforts of customer service staff addressing issues from residents and businesses.
4) Porter Services – regular cleaning of downtown and bus areas, six days a week (Monday – Saturday),
not to exceed 60 hours/week. Any additional work beyond this scope will be performed at $60/hour.
5) Downtown Pressure Washing Service – pressure wash the sidewalks within the downtown specified
areas on a weekly basis.
6) Downtown Trash Cans – empty the trash cans located in the downtown specified areas 3X/week
(Monday, Thursday, Saturday). This is currently done by a 3rd party contractor.
7) Heritage Court – provide weekly sweeping of the Heritage Court parking area.
8) Bus Stop Maintenance – include monthly pressure washing for up to 60 bus stops across the City and
emptying trash receptacles 3X/week at each stop. This includes cleaning for bus stops located in the
downtown area, and additional cleaning as needed for high impact areas for an hourly rate ($60/hour).
9) Graffiti Removal and Additional Power Washing Support – provide additional graffiti removal services
and power washing, as directed by City Staff on as needed basis, for an hourly rate of $60 per hour,
plus materials.
10) Street Sweeping – Athens Services provides street sweeping in the City in a separate contract. Athens
Services is proposing to absorb the current contract into the waste collection agreement (272 curb miles)
at no charge to the City. The current budget to pay for the service can be reallocated by the City for an
alternative public benefit. Any additional sweeping can be included at a meet and confer process
between the City and Athens, or to be performed at an additional rate of $29.50/mile.
11) Performance Bond – increase the current performance bond from $50,000 to $1 million.
12) AB 939 Diversion – transition to AB 939 requirement and eliminate the current requirement to
transport 13,000 tons to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to maintain compliance with AB 939.
13) Flow Control – to ensure that Athens can manage the waste stream as necessary to ensure all
diversions are met. The City will retain the right to direct Athens to haul organic waste collected in
the City should the City develop an organics processing facility in the future.
14) Annual Rate Adjustment – eliminate the “true-up” process and adopt a Consumer Price Index trash
rate adjustment annually, which measures the average change of costs common to the waste industry.
The rate adjustment being proposed is CPI + 1% with floor of 3%.
15) Enforcement of Exclusivity – Azusa and Athens will agree on language that reinforces the exclusivity
of the franchise agreement.
16) Contract Term – additional 12 years to the current 8 year rolling term.
17) Annual Supplemental Franchise Fee – Athens to provide the City $500,000 annually, in addition to
the current 10% franchise fee, beginning in Year 2 of the new proposed contract. This payment will
escalate annually by CPI.
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
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18) Annual Report – Athens will provide an annual report illustrating the work performed the previous
year. This will include the number of customer requests, number of bulky waste requests, tonnage
collected, total diversion, as well as reporting on the various porter services.
19) Ten Year Meet and Confer – this can be requested by either party to review the terms of the contract.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Table 2 shows the fiscal impact to the City with the elimination of street sweeping costs, annual contract
fee payment, and increase in franchise fee over a 25-year period:
Table 2. Fiscal Impact to the City
SB 1383 affects all residential, commercial customers, and jurisdictions all over California. This law is
unprecedented and unfunded and all jurisdictions have to implement the organics recycling program
effective January 1, 2022. Failure by jurisdictions to comply with the law can result in penalties of up to
$10,000 per day. The following table shows future trash rates.
Table 3. Future Trash Rates
Prepared by: Reviewed and Approved:
Liza Sagun Manny Robledo
Environmental Programs Specialist Director of Utilities
Reviewed by: Reviewed and Approved:
Paul Reid Sergio Gonzalez
Environmental Programs Manager City Manager
Proposed SB 1383 Compliance & Athens Franchise Agreement Changes
August 16, 2021
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Attachments:
1) Proposed Franchise Agreement Changes
2) Athens SB 1383 Proposal
August 10, 2021
Sergio Gonzalez, City Manager
City of Azusa
213 E Foothill Blvd.
Azusa, CA 91702
Re: SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
Mr. Gonzalez,
As a longtime partner with the City of Azusa, we appreciate the opportunity to submit this proposal in
response to SB 1383. This law and supporting regulations take effect on January 1, 2022 and focus on organic
waste reduction and edible food recovery targets statewide. The enforcement provisions, including penalties
for noncompliance issued by the state also take effect. At a local level, cities, counties, and special districts are
responsible for the enforcement and compliance with this state mandate.
This law is unprecedented and unfunded. The impact will be significant across the state, affecting all
residential and commercial customers and jurisdictions. Compliance with SB 1383 will require a multifaceted
strategy. This regulation will require changes to customer behavior, waste collection, education, reporting,
enforcement mechanisms, and penalties for non-compliance. To execute, it will require a strong collaborative
effort between the City and Athens Services.
Athens Services has been serving Azusa for many years. We take great pride in the highly customized, quality
service we have been providing to your community. We also recognize the changes and growth of the City,
and are proposing some additional contract enhancements to not only provide additional value to your
residents and businesses, but to also support City staff in keeping the City clean.
We believe this proposal is a great path forward for the City to enhance its waste and recycling program,
stabilize the rates for customers over time and continue to be a leader in sustainability. We look forward to
discussing this proposal with you in detail and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you.
Elizabeth Ramirez
Vice President, Government Affairs
Attachment 1
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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Athens Services is providing this proposal to the City to help the City address the unfunded mandates of SB
1383. This new law, which comes into effect January 1, 2022, has various requirements the City is responsible
for. Fortunately, Athens has developed a plan to help the City comply. This is outlined in further detail in the
attached SB 1383 proposal, but some of the areas Athens can provide support to the City include:
1. Organics Recycling for all Customers
2. Food Recovery Outreach, and Enhanced Recycling Education and Outreach
3. Contamination Monitoring for all Customers
4. Waste Characterizations
5. Data Management and Reporting
6. Procurement of Organic Material
The below proposal outlines how Athens can support the City in complying with this state law. In addition,
Athens has also included some additional services for the City to consider, such power washing and litter
pickup services. These proposed added services are in response to the growth in the City and to help keep high
pedestrian traffic areas clean.
WASTE HAULING & RECYCLING
In order to meet the requirements of SB 1383, Athens Services is proposing the following changes to the City’s
waste collection and recycling program.
This provides compliance with SB 1383, limits contact with refuse, improves safety and workforce
management, and sets the City up on a path to meet future state diversion goals. For additional details on
Athens’ overall approach to comply with SB 1383, please refer to the attached Athens Services SB 1383
Proposal.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION SERVICE
Athens is proposing to transition to a 3 barrel automated collection program. The standard level of service
includes (1) 96 gallon trash, (1) 96 gallon recycle and (1) 96 gallon organics barrel and unlimited bulky collection
service. This change will no longer require residents to purchase the ir own refuse containers, as Athens will
provide containers as part of the service. Athens can also provide sanitization of the barrels, upon customer
request. Along with this change, customers will be required, under SB 1383, to place food waste in the green
cart. This change to the program is required by SB 1383.
Athens recognizes that the existing bulky item collection service works well for residents, and is proposing to
keep the unlimited bulky item program in place, for items to be collected on their service day. One slight change
to the program is customers will need to call Athens directly to schedule a pickup so the bulky truck can be sent
to collect those items on their service day. The proposed rate change for this new service, for single family
customers is $3.50.
MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION SERVICE
SB 1383 also requires multifamily customers to subscribe to organics service. Under this proposal, multifamily
customers with 1-4 units will have the option of subscribing to barrel service. Multifamily customers with 5 units
or more will be required to subscribe to bin service for mixed waste collection and barrel service for organ ics.
The organics service for multifamily is outlined below. Rates will be dependent on the number of containers and
frequency of service, as outlined in the current rate sheet. This new program will also include the same unlimited
bulky collection program as outlined above.
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY ORGANICS PROGRAM
In 2018, the City Council adopted a “Pay as You Throw” rate structure for commercial and multifamily organics
customers. AB 1826 required customers who generated 2 cubic yards or more of solid waste to subscribe to an
organics program. While AB 1826 introduced organics to customers, it did not require customers to subscribe.
SB 1383 mandates all customers subscribe to organics service.
As previously mentioned, SB 1383 impacts all cities across the state. While the law holds cities responsible for
compliance, cities can elect to have their waste hauling company help comply. Athens has developed a program
that will help the City comply, while minimizing impact to rate payers. The cost for compliance includes the cost
of collection vehicles, barrels, disposal at the organics facility, transportation, annual public education, annual
site visits, customer waste assessments; facility waste characterizations, ongoing customer training,
contamination monitoring, management of waivers, reporting & data management, and office administration.
To cover the costs needed to provide a compliant commercial and multifamily organics program, Athens is
proposing and extraordinary increase of 55%, phased in over two (2) years, to commercial/multifamily refuse
rates to comply with SB 1383. This increase is comparable to surrounding cities, and in some cases, less than
surrounding cities. This proposed rate increase will be phased in over 2 years, with 27.5% in year 1 and 27.5%
in year 2.
In addition, Athens is proposing a hybrid program for organics, in which the true rate of organics service is
phased in over 4 years to the customers, to minimize impact.
- Customers who currently have organics will be transitioned into this billing structure, on the effective
day of the amendment. This means their bill will be adjusted so they pay 25% of the organics barrel rate
through June 30, 2022. The current rate (under the “Pay As You Throw” program) for a 64 gallon barrel
is $125.36. Under the proposed hybrid program, the barrel rate in Year 1 would decrease to $105.74,
and will reflect 75% credit on their invoice, so in effect paying $26.44 year 1.
- In Year 4, customers will no longer receive a credit, and will be paying the full amount listed in the annual
rate sheet for organics service.
Year Credit
Year 1 7/2021 – 6/2022 75% (customer will be paying 25% of the organics rate)
Year 2 7/2022 – 6/2023 50% (customer will be paying 50% of the organics rate)
Year 3 7/2023 – 6/2024 25% (customer will be paying 75% of the organics rate)
Year 4 7/2024 – 7/2025 0% (customer will be paying 100% of the organics rate)
REFUSE BILLING
Athens is proposing to assume all refuse billing from the City, effective J anuary 1, 2022. The complexities
associated with billing under SB 1383 is something that Athens Services is equipped to handle. The City currently
charges a flat rate, by customer type, for refuse services.
ABANDONED BULKY PICKUP
Athens is proposing a value ad, to help keep the City clean, by providing collection service for abandoned
bulky items in public right of way, upon request from the City. Currently City staff collects abandoned items.
The city will direct Athens to collect such items, which will be collected within 24 hours.
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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E-WASTE
Athens recognizes the need to electronic waste disposal in the community and will provide a permanent roll off
box to the City, to be located in a central location which will be accessible to residents, for ongoing ewaste
collection. In addition, Athens will provide 2 electronic waste drop off events for residents annually.
FOOD RECOVERY SUPPORT
As previously mentioned, SB 1383 requires the City of Azusa to develop a food recovery program. Athens is
committed to providing the City with $50,000 in annual support to assist in developing this program. This
funding can be used to support local food recovery organizations as they develop their food recovery efforts
as required by SB 1383. This will be distributed directly from Athens, in consultation with City staff.
PROCUREMENT SUPPORT
As California collects and recycles organic materials, local governments will be required to use the products
made from this recycled organic material, such as renewable energy, compost, and mulch. Athens has
committed to helping the City meet these requirement by providing renewable natural gas (RNG) and compost.
Athens will provide an additional compost giveaway event annually, for a total of 2 giveaways per year. In
addition, Athens will utilize RNG in our collection vehicles. This will further support the City’s procurement
requirements under SB 1383.
ADDITIONAL CONTRACT ENHANCEMENTS
In reviewing the proposed changes to the City’s collection program, Athens also evalu ated other ways in which
we can provide additional value and services to the City. While SB 1383 is the catalyst for these proposed
changes, Athens can provide support to the City through other services to help with various City initiatives.
PORTER SERVICES
Through various discussions with City staff, and with residents, Athens recognizes the changes and quick
economic growth of the downtown area. As one of the only cities in this current extension of the Gold Line, and
one of the few with an actual train station in downtown proper, combined with the current and future
development projects, the City of Azusa will continue to grow exponentially. It is also important that the City
remains clean and safe. This is why Athens is proposing to provide the fo llowing services, at no additional charge
to the City, as part of this proposal. This added benefit will support the City’s team in helping to keep the
downtown and bus stop areas clean. Athens will provide a full time person dedicated to providing these services
in Azusa. Porter services will be performed 6 days a week, (Monday – Saturday), not to exceed 60 hours/week.
Any additional work beyond this scope will be performed at $60/hour.
DOWNTOWN PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES
Athens is proposing to pressure wash the sidewalks located within the downtown area on a weekly basis. The
bus stops included in these boundaries will be serviced twice a month. The downtown area is defined as :
- Azusa Avenue, between 5th street and 9th Street
- San Gabriel Avenue (eastside), from 6th Street to 9th Street
- San Gabriel Avenue (westside), from Foothill Blvd to 6th Street
DOWNTOWN TRASH CANS
Athens is proposing to empty the trash cans located in the downtown area 3x’s week (Monday, Thursday,
Saturday). This is currently done by a 3rd party contractor.
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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HERITAGE COURT
Athens is proposing to provide weekly sweeping of the Heritage Court parking area. This parking lot is
maintained by the City and additional support from Athens in keeping it clean can improve the area.
BUS STOP MAINTENANCE
Athens is proposing to include monthly pressure washing for up to 60 bus stops across the City and emptying
trash receptacles three times per week at each stop. This includes twice per month cleaning for bus stops located
in the downtown area, and additional cleaning as needed for high impact areas for an hourly rate ($60/hour).
GRAFFITI REMOVAL AND ADDITIONAL POWER WASHING SUPPORT
Based on the feedback received from the City Council, Athens is proposing an hourly rate ($60 /hour), plus
material costs, to support the City’s graffiti removal team and provide additional power washing as directed by
the City. This will be provided on call, as needed, Monday – Friday in public right of way areas identified by
staff. Work will be completed within 24 hours’ notice from the City.
STREET SWEEPING
STREET SWEEPING SERVICES
Athens Services currently provides street sweeping services in the City of Azusa under a separate contract. As
we evaluated the overall approach to contract enhancements, we determined that we can absorb the current
street sweeping contract into the hauling agreement (275 curb miles), at no charge to the City. This means the
current sweeping monies used to pay for the service can be re-allocated by the City for an alternative public
benefit. Any additional sweeping can be included through a meet and confer process between Athens and the
City, or be performed at an additional rate of $29.50 curb/mile.
Sweeping services will be performed within the City’s posted 4 and 4.5 hour period. Sweeping debris collected
will be dumped at the City yard and recycled. Water usage for sweeping Azusa streets will be provided to Athens
at no additional charge.
Sweeping will include City’s holiday schedule.
New Years Day Labor Day
Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day
President’s Day Veterans Day
Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day
Independence Day Christmas Day
OTHER PROPOSED CONTRACTUAL CHANGES
To ensure the above proposed changes are delivered as outlined, several additional administrative contract
changes are necessary to protect both the City of Azusa, ratepayers, and Athens Services.
PERFORMANCE BOND
Athens proposes to increase the performance bond from the current $50,000 value to $1million.
AB 939 DIVERSION
Athens proposes transitioning to AB 939 diversion and eliminating the current requirement to transport 13,000
tons to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF). This will maintain a compliant program with CalRecycle and allow
Athens to manage the flow of waste collected as needed.
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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FLOW CONTROL
Athens is requesting the City to grant flow control to Athens Services. This further ensures that Athens can
manage the waste stream as necessary to ensure all diversion requirements are met. However, should the City
at any point in the future, develop an organics processing facility, the City will retain the right to direct Athens
to haul organic waste collected in the City to such facility.
ANNUAL RATE ADJUSTMENT PROCESS
Athens is proposing to eliminate the disposal “true up” process, and adopt a Consumer Price Index-Trash
adjustment process annually, which measures the average change of costs common to the waste industry. The
annual rate adjustment formula being proposed is a CPI +1% with floor of 3%.
BILLING TRANSITION TO ATHENS SERVICES
Athens Services is proposing to transition all refuse billing from the City of Azusa Light & Water. This will help
ensure adequate billing under SB 1383.
ENFORCEMENT OF EXCLUSIVITY OF CONTRACT
Athens Services and the City of Azusa will agree on language that reinforces the exclusivity of the franchise
agreement.
CONTRACT TERM
Athens is proposing an additional 12 years to the current 8 year rolling term.
ANNUAL SUPPLEMENTAL FRANCHISE FEE
Athens to provide an annual supplemental franchise fee to the City of Azusa in the amount of $500,000 annually,
beginning in Year 2 of the new proposed contract. This payment will escalate annually by CPI.
ANNUAL REPORT
Athens Services will provide the City with an annual report illustrating the work performed the previous year.
This will include information such as the number of customer requests, number of bulky requests, tonnage
collected, total diversion, as well as reporting on the various porter services provided.
10 YEAR MEET AND CONFER
Athens is proposing a 10 year meet and confer which can be requested by either party to review the terms of
the contract.
SB 1383 and Proposed Changes to Azusa’s Franchise Agreement
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The below table shows the overall financial benefit to the City should Athens be directed to provide the services
proposed. The table also reflects the rates that residents and businesses will be paying over the first 5 years of
the contract. In addition, the net rates are also shown in the section below. Note the net rates reflect the cost
of service, and the gross rates (what the customer pays) includes the franchise fee and AB 939 fee that is paid
to the City.
Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed Sum
Phase-In of Benefits to Azusa Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 25 Year Term
Annual Supplemental Franchise Fee -$ 500,000$ 517,500$ 535,613$ 554,359$ 18,333,264$
Elimination of Street Sweeping Costs 301,403$ 308,938$ 316,662$ 324,578$ 332,693$ 10,295,253$
Increase in Franchise Fees 192,427$ 327,534$ 376,568$ 428,546$ 468,199$ 17,940,896$
Total Annual Benefit 493,830$ 1,136,472$ 1,210,730$ 1,288,737$ 1,355,251$ 46,569,412$
Actual Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed
Five-Year Rate Outlook - Gross Rates:'21 - '22 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Residential Rates 33.14$ 37.03$ 38.27$ 39.54$ 40.88$ 42.24$
Residential Rate Change 11.7%3.4%3.3%3.4%3.3%
Multi-Family Rates 24.81$ 36.90$ 38.14$ 39.41$ 40.75$ 42.11$
Multi-Family Rate Change 48.7%3.4%3.3%3.4%3.3%
Commercial 1-3-1 Rates 135.47$ 171.62$ 217.72$ 225.20$ 232.95$ 240.96$
Commercial 1-3-1 Rate Change 26.7%26.9%3.4%3.4%3.4%
Organics 64 Gallon Rates 125.36$ 105.74$ 109.43$ 113.24$ 117.20$ 121.28$
Organics 64 Gallon Rate Change -15.7%3.5%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Actual Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed Proposed
Five-Year Rate Outlook - Net Rates:'21 - '22 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Residential Rates 28.29$ 31.79$ 32.90$ 34.05$ 35.25$ 36.48$
Residential Rate Change 12.4%3.5%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Multi-Family Rates 20.91$ 31.79$ 32.90$ 34.05$ 35.25$ 36.48$
Multi-Family Rate Change 52.0%3.5%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Commercial 1-3-1 Rates 118.33$ 150.87$ 192.36$ 199.09$ 206.06$ 213.27$
Commercial 1-3-1 Rate Change 27.5%27.5%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Organics 64 Gallon Rates 112.41$ 94.80$ 98.12$ 101.55$ 105.11$ 108.79$
Organics 64 Gallon Rate Change -15.7%3.5%3.5%3.5%3.5%
Athens Services
City of Azusa Contract Enhancement Proposals
PREPARED BY:
Gary Clifford
Executive Vice President, Athens Services
(626) 934-4619
gclifford@athensservices.com
SB 1383
PROPOSAL
SB 1383
PROPOSAL
Attachment 2
2 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
What is SB 1383?
SB 1383 was adopted by the California Legislature
in 2016 and establishes statewide targets to reduce
emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) such
as methane gas. California’s Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), a California
Environmental Protection Agency department, is the
lead agency responsible for implementation. Organic
waste such as excess food, yard trimmings, paper, and
cardboard make up half of what Californians dump in
landfills. When these materials break down, they emit
powerful greenhouse gases and pollutants, including
methane. SB 1383 is intended to reduce these short-
lived climate pollutants.
How Will SB 1383 Impact My City?
This unfunded mandate will impact everyone in the
State of California. The law mandates new recycling
programs, additional outreach and education,
ongoing contamination monitoring, enhanced
reporting and data management, and may require a
change to your waste collection program.
Jurisdiction responsibilities also include:
• Evaluating your City’s readiness and capacity to
implement SB 1383, including organics collection,
recycling and edible food recovery capacity.
• Providing organic waste collection to all residents
and businesses, which means providing service
automatically and not relying on the generator to
subscribe.
• Monitor waste stream contamination levels and
issue violations to residents and businesses who
continue to contaminate.
• Establish edible food recovery program that
recovers edible food from the waste stream.
• Conducting outreach and education to all
impacted parties, including generators and edible
food recovery organizations.
• Procuring recycled organic waste products like
compost, mulch, renewable natural gas (RNG),
and electricity.
• Inspecting and enforce compliance with SB 1383,
including assessing penalties to non-compliant
generators.
• Maintaining accurate and timely records of SB
1383 compliance.
How Will SB 1383 Impact Ratepayers?
Organic waste includes green waste, food waste, and
food soiled paper. Organic material collected will
need to be transported to a processing facility for
composting. Residential ratepayers will be required to
subscribe to organics recycling service. All businesses
will need to subscribe to organics service. Large
food waste generators will be required to recover
edible food from their waste stream for donation to
participating food recovery organizations
How will SB 1383 Be Enforced?
Jurisdictions are required to monitor contamination
and impose penalties from $50 up to $500 for those
waste generators that are not properly recycling
organic waste. CalRecycle can issue penalties to
jurisdictions, up to $10,000 per day, for failure to
comply.
Why is a Food Recovery Program Required under SB
1383?
Californians send 11.2 billion pounds of food to
landfills each year, some of which was still fresh
enough to have been recovered to feed people in
need. While billions of meals go to waste, millions
of Californians don’t have enough to eat. To reduce
edible food waste and address food insecurity, surplus
food still safe for consumption will instead go to
food banks, soup kitchens, and other food recovery
organizations to help feed Californians in need.
CALIFORNIA’S SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT
REDUCTION STRATEGY
What You Need To Know
3
SB 1383 IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
September 2016
Governor Edmund (Jerry) Brown Jr. set methane
emissions reduction targets for California (SB
1383 Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) in a
statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-
lived climate pollutants
January 1, 2020
Reduce the statewide disposal of organic waste
by 50% from the 2014 level (target: 11.5 million
tons)
January 1, 2022
Regulations take effect and are enforceable. Food
Recovery for Tier 1 Businesses.
January 1, 2025
Reduce the statewide disposal of organic waste
by 75% from the 2014 level (target: 5.7 million
tons)
January 1, 2024
May require local jurisdictions to impose
penalties for noncompliance on generators. Food
Recovery for Tier 2 businesses.
January 2, 2025
Recover 20% of currently disposed edible food
for human consumption.
Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy4
ABOUT ATHENS SERVICES //
The Athens Way Culture
After more than 60 years, Athens Services remains a family-owned and operated company built on
an unwavering commitment to service, its employees, and to the environment. At the core of its
success is The Athens Way, a business philosophy that underscores a company culture which:
• Emphasizes superior customer service
• Hire and develop great people while promoting workplace safety
• Fosters environmental stewardship through the use of clean technology to increase recycling
and landfill diversion
Founded by Jack Arakelian in 1957 as a trash hauling company with just two trucks, today Athens
Services is the largest privately held environmental services company in Southern California. With
more than a quarter of a million customers in 50 cities and county areas, a fleet of nearly 1,000
vehicles, and a portfolio of facilities that includes three state-of-the art materials recovery facilities
and a composting facility, Athens Services’ future is as bright as its storied past.
SERVICE | PEOPLE | ENVIRONMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS //
1 WASTE STREAM ANALYSIS
2 OUTREACH & EDUCATION
3 CONTAMINATION MONITORING: ROUTE AUDITS
4 DATA MANAGEMENT & REPORTING SUPPORT
5 PROCUREMENT SUPPORT
6 FOOD RECOVERY SUPPORT
5
7 ATHENS’ FACILITIES
6 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
1. WASTE STREAM ANALYSIS //
Compliance
SB 1383, California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, will drive numerous changes
across the state. The shift from a residential green waste collection program to an organics collection
program, where food waste and food soiled paper are commingled in the green waste container,
and transported to a composting facility, will be one of the larger, more noticeable changes for your
constituents.
Over the past several months, Athens has been analyzing your current waste stream and conducting
waste characterizations of all of the residential refuse/mixed waste loads in your City. These
characterizations have provided us with the understanding of how much organic material is currently
in those streams, so we can establish a baseline and goals for ensuring that material gets placed in the
organics container. These characterizations are instrumental in determining how much outreach and
education will need to be conducted to help drive customer behavior to minimize contamination.
Each of the residential routes in your City were evaluated, and the results from those waste
characterizations are available upon request. For a more detailed explanation on the methodology
used for our waste characterizations, please refer to Appendix A. Also included in Appendix A for your
reference, is a detailed description of the acceptable materials that will be allowed in the organics,
recycle and refuse containers.
Learn more about how Athens does waste characterizations for
the City of Los Angeles recycLA program.
7
In order to comply with SB 1383, Athens will need to enhance the
existing outreach and education program in your City. This is a crucial
step to help drive the change in customer behavior.
Similar to the outreach that is provided under AB 1826, which targets
specific customers based on the amount of waste generated, outreach
under SB 1383 will be applicable to all customers. Athens will be
providing additional team members in your City to help with these
efforts. The Athens outreach program will include in-person, print and
electronic outreach in your City.
Athens will also track, record, manage and store the data gathered from
these outreach efforts, to assist the City in reporting back to CalRecycle.
The Athens outreach team will also provide support to the City through
assessing and verifying the circumstances of businesses that may
qualify for a waiver. Jurisdictions are required to establish a waiver
program and has final authority on approving waivers for service.
Athens will verify, through our outreach team, whether a customer
qualifies for a De Minimis, Physical Space, or Collection Frequency
Waiver. Athens is unable to issue the final determination, as SB 1383
places that responsibility on the jurisdiction, but we can provide the
work needed to help the City with that process.
For a more comprehensive description on our overall outreach
approach, please see Appendix B.
2. OUTREACH & EDUCATION //
Effective, results-driven approach to education
ATHENS OUTREACH TEAM:
Lucas Arias, Recycling Coordinator
Athens Team Member Since 2019
Athens Outreach Team
2018 Tabling Event
Angie Park, Organics Recycling Coordinator
Athens Team Member Since 2017
OUTREACH EFFORTS:
In-person
Digital/eletronic
Print
• Presentations &
Training
• Waste
Assessments
• Community Events
& Meetings
• Interactive
Recycling Website
(Recyclist)
• Instructional
Videos
• Social Media
• Signage
• Container Labeling
• Newsletter Articles
8 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
3. CONTAMINATION MONITORING: ROUTE AUDITS //
Route auditors
SB 1383 mandates regular monitoring of the collection routes,
to observe and track contamination in the waste stream. The
law provides two options for monitoring: (1) periodic waste
characterizations at the processing facility; (2) periodic reviews
and audits of the collection routes. Athens has determined the
most cost effective approach for compliance with this part of the
mandate is by conducting ongoing route reviews.
Athens will provide quarterly route reviews for commercial and
residential sectors, to monitor contamination. We will conduct
these audits by performing a hands-on visual check, and will
document our findings and capture photos of the containers
being audited. This information will be housed in our database,
and will be available for the City to review as needed.
See more about Athens’ route audit process and contamination
monitoring in Appendix C.
ROUTE AUDIT PROCESS:
Document findings
and capture photos
Report information
in databaseIn-person visual check
9
4. DATA MANAGEMENT & REPORTING SUPPORT //
Dedicated reporting team to oversee data management of recycling efforts
SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to monitor contamination, issue notices of violations and report this
information to CalRecycle. Athens can provide support with this through our enhanced reporting process.
Athens has developed the infrastructure needed to capture the data required under SB 1383. This includes
all the information gathered through our outreach efforts, which includes data such as backhaul/selfhaul
programs, waiver information, and container and waste stream photographs.
In addition, the data gathered for contamination monitoring through our proposed route reviews will also be
tracked by Athens. This will eliminate the need for your City to have to manage and store this data. This data
will be available, as needed, to the City for reporting and compliance purposes.
As part of the outreach, monitoring and reporting the Athens team will be providing, we will have adequate
data to support the City with enforcement actions administered.
For more information on how Athens can support with data management and reporting, please refer to
Appendix D.
Audit report from a similar City.
10 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
5. PROCUREMENT SUPPORT //
Procurement
SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to procure recycled organic products on an annual basis. CalRecycle has
developed a calculator to help jurisdictions determine how much material would need to be procured.
Athens will help your City comply with this requirement through the use of renewable natural gas (RNG)
utilized in our collection vehicles and through the compost produced at American Organics. Over the years,
Athens has invested in significant RNG and composting infrastructure in preparation for upcoming regulations.
This has prepared us to help your City meet procurement needs through RNG and compost.
Please refer to Appendix E for additional details on how Athens can support your City’s Procurement
requirements.
11
6. FOOD RECOVERY SUPPORT //
Educating Food Generators on SB 1383
In addition to the reduction of organics disposal,
SB 1383 establishes an additional target that no
less than 20% of currently disposed edible food is
recovered for human consumption by 2025. Food
service establishments will be required to work
with a food recovery organization. Starting in 2022,
Tier 1 edible food generators must arrange to
recover the maximum amount of their edible food
that would otherwise go to landfills and they must
maintain food donation records.
As a waste hauler, Athens scope of work is typically
focused on the “back of house” operations, where
the waste gets placed into the containers we haul.
Food recovery activities take place prior to the
material coming to the “back of house”, or to the
enclosure. However, Athens is able to provide
support with the City’s food recovery program by
providing the outreach needed for food generators
subject to this requirement. Athens will work
with food generators, as part of the site visits
and outreach we provide, to inform and advise
customers how they can develop a food recovery
program. Athens will also work with the City to
help identify Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers as well as
identify potential food recovery partners.
A full description of how Athens can provide
food recovery support to your City is included in
Appendix F.
Learn more about Athens’
food recovery and donation
program.
12 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
7. ATHENS’ FACILITIES //
Utilizing Innovative Technology
Athens has built the most advanced sustainable green waste and organics composting facility in the region.
American Organics processes more organic waste in a shorter period while producing the highest quality,
certified-organic, contaminant-free compost. We do this better than any other facility in Southern California.
Additionally, this facility reduces thousands of metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) annually by diverting
organic waste from landfills. The compost produced at American Organics benefits Southern California by
diverting organic waste and reducing GHGs.
Athens has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building and improving materials recovery facilities
(MRFs) to help municipalities meet diversion goals and prepare for future recycling regulations. Our Sun Valley
MRF is renowned for its innovative technology, impeccable safety record, and green building certification.
A short distance away, Athens is expanding and enclosing Crown Recycling, one of the most comprehensive
MRFs in the area. Upon completion, the $50 million renovation will increase facility capacity to 6,700 tons
per day (TPD) of organic material, construction and demolition, and mixed solid waste. Our Valley MRF,
located in the City of Industry, sorts up to 3,000 TPD. This facility was the first Athens MRF constructed, and
has continued to be on the cutting edge of innovation, helping Athens adapt to new mandates like SB 1383.
In collaboration with Komar Industries, Athens recently developed the Organic Separation Press (OSP). The
OSP is the first system of its kind to recover organic liquid from waste for reuse. Using a large auger screw,
the OSP presses waste to separate nutrient-right organic liquid. The liquid is harvested and transported to a
wastewater treatment facility to be converted into renewable natural gas.
All of the Athens facilities are prepared to meet the requirements of SB 1383. This includes, but is not limited
to, RDRS reporting, data management, contamination monitoring, load checks and safety practices as outlined
in the final regulations published November 2020.
13
APPENDIX A
Waste Stream Analysis
To analyze and better understand the composition of your City’s refuse/mixed waste stream, Athens conducted
waste characterizations of your residential routes. Under current law, it is acceptable to place food waste in the
trash. Under SB 1383, food waste needs to be removed from the trash bin and placed in the organics container.
These recent waste characterizations helped Athens identify how much organics (food waste and green waste)
is currently in your trash stream.
Approximately 200-400 pounds of material were sampled from each load. From that sampling, the Athens
team worked to identify the various organics commodities within that load. Each commodity type was
identified, labeled and photographed. The team was able to quantify, how much of each of the organic
commodities were in the load sample. This process takes roughly 3-4 hours per load sample. This ensures that
we are accurately able to identify and categorize materials. Below is an image that illustrate this process.
The characterizations are designed to identify the volume of organics placed in this stream. The results are
used to identify a benchmark and establish goals for implementing a residential organics recycling program in
your City. Based on the established goals, we can determine resources needed to be put forth for education
and outreach to transition organics into the green waste container program.
14 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
APPENDIX A
Waste Stream Acceptable Materials
Athens will provide compliance for your City by collecting residential green waste, food waste and food soiled
paper in the organics (green) container. Acceptable materials for the recycle (blue) and trash (black) barrel will
be communicated to our customers through our outreach program. Below is a listing of acceptable materials
for each of these waste streams.
Green Container Acceptable Items
Green Waste
• Grass clippings
• Flower & hedge trimmings
• Leaves & branches
• Lumber, scrap wood, & plywood types (not painted or treated)
• Weeds
Food Scraps (Any putrescible matter produced from human or animal food production, preparation, &
consumption activities. No produce stickers.)
• Bread, rice, & pasta
• Cheese & dairy
• Coffee filters
• Flowers & herbs
• Fruits & vegetables
• Meat, bones, poultry, seafood, & soft shells (e.g. lobster, crab, & shrimp)
Food-Soiled Paper (All items must be 100% plant-fiber based with NO petroleum, wax, or bio-plastic coating,
liner, or laminate. Must be soiled ONLY with food and/or drink liquids. *No bathroom tissue, toilet paper, or
feminine products.)
• 100% fiber based, compostable to-go containers & serving-ware
• Egg cartons (paper)
• Food-stained paper
• Paper napkins & kitchen towels*
• Paper food boats
• Paper packaging
• Paper plates & cups
• Pizza boxes
Non-Acceptable Organics (Please place in the trash.)
• Rags, clothing, or other cloth/textiles (“plant-fiber” means paper, not textiles.)
• Bio-solids or bathroom waste, including tissues or bathroom paper towels.
• Disposable diapers
• Pet waste
• Tea bags and tea bag wrappers
• Lint
• Hard shells (e.g. clams, mussels, & oysters)
• Cacti, succulents, and palm fronds
*Athens does not accept paper towels and/or napkins used to clean surfaces due to the use of nonfood related
chemicals and potential toxins.
15
Black Container Acceptable Items
Acceptable materials in the black container include:• Disposable diapers• Empty aerosol cans• Pet Waste• Unusable clothing & fabric• Tea bags and tea bag wrappers• Lint• Hard shells• All foam• Garden hoses & plastic tarps• Bubble wrap• Latex and plastic gloves• Empty motor oil• All receipts• Bathroom & facial tissues• Gift wrap with plastic or metal• Hardback books• Laminated or plastic coated paper• Padded or Tyvek-type envelopes• Photographs• Candy & protein bar wrappers• Chip bags• Disposable coffee cups & lids• Juice and food pouches • Bags with a mix of metal & plastic
Blue Container Acceptable Items
Acceptable materials in the blue container include:• Paper products not included in the organics stream• Printing and writing paper• Commingled recyclables such as aluminum/tin foil and trays (clean)• Aseptic containers, juice boxes and milk cartons• Cans (aluminum, bi-metal, and tin)• Cardboard• Envelopes• Glass bottles and jars• Junk mail; magazines• All metal• Newspaper • Office paper• Paperback books• Paper grocery bags• Clean plastic bags, film plastic (grocery, dry cleaning)• Plastic containers (1-7)• Shredded paper (bagged)• Wrapping paper (with no metal)
NO! / ¡NO!
LANDFILL ONLY
SOLO BASURA PARA EL VERTEDERO
Your Zero Waste Partner (888) 336-6100 AthensServices.com
NO! / ¡NO!
RECYCLABLES ONLY
SOLO RECICLABLES
NO LIQUIDS
OR FOOD/
NO LIQUIDOS O COMIDA
*Bagged shredded paper /
papel triturado en bolsa
Your Zero Waste Partner (888) 336-6100 AthensServices.com
Container Colorization
Athens will work with your City to determine the best approach to phase in new, SB 1383 compliant
containers.
16 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
APPENDIX B
Outreach and Education
Athens Services currently provides outreach and education for customers subject to AB 341, AB 1826 and
AB 827. SB 1383 will have an impact on all customers, and much effort is needed to help customers with this
transition. Athens Services can provided enhanced outreach and education efforts to help the City comply with
SB 1383. Outreach will be provided through print, in-person and electronic communication on an annual basis.
Outreach materials will be translated into the appropriate languages spoken in your community. Athens will
also keep copies of all outreach provided and will track and document which customers received the outreach.
This includes tracking all social media activity.
Content that will be communicated to customers include:
1. How to properly sort waste
2. How to prevent organic waste generation
3. Methane reduction benefits
4. Public health and safety & environmental impacts
5. Edible Food Recovery
6. Self-haul requirements (if applicable)
Below is a summary of the Athens outreach plan for your City.
Recycling Coordinators
Athens’ Recycling Coordinators (RC’s) are trained recycling exports with a niche for conducting outreach and
education. Recycling Coordinators will lead the outreach efforts in your City by utilizing a variety of tools to
engage with customers. Whether in-person or virtually, recycling coordinators will ensure the community has
the right resources for a successful recycling and organics program.
RC’s will provide site visits to all commercial and multifamily customers and conduct waste assessments, which
will include:
• Comprehensive waste audit
• Detailed waste management and recycling strategies
• Customer personnel training
• Effective signage, location placement, and maintenance suggestions
• Container types, sizes, and pick-up frequency recommendations
Many customers cannot be onsite or do not feel comfortable participating in onsite assessments, given
concerns that have arisen due to COVID-19. Our RC team can conduct virtual waste assessments where we
engage the customer over the phone or through a Zoom meeting to go through the site visit’s details and our
findings. We ask the customer several questions about their business or multifamily site, gather and document
this information for future use, and make recommendations on service levels.
17
We also have the ability to video record our onsite waste assessments for clients, when necessary. The video
will include suggestions and be available to the appropriate parties. We will also follow up with additional
input and resources. The RC and client can review the video together or separately. This approach is essential
for our multifamily accounts, which might have out-of-state managers or have COVID-19 (or other health
concerns) limitations.
As part of our customer visits, customers will receive recycling signage and training on additional resources.
Athens’ recycling resources are available on www.athensservices.com/outreach/ for download, promoted via
social media, distributed with e-mail blasts or mailed based on the customer’s preferred method of contact.
Outreach & Education App
Athens has developed an Outreach and Education application “App” to help
track customer interactions. The application was designed specifically for use
in the field by Recycling Coordinators. The app collects customer information,
along with additional vital information pertaining to the waste and recycling
program. We will use the data to target specific customers for outreach on
recycling, organics, contamination, and edible food recovery.
Data Collected by the Outreach and Education App
• Contact information, service and billing address, service levels, and routing
information
• Date and Time of trainings
• GPS link to service and bin location
• Photos of bin locations, enclosures, and inside the containers.
• Container information, including lock lids, custom bin sizes, and
measurements
• Site information, including any safety hazards, gate codes, or special access
instructions.
• Customer implementation of recycling and organics signage and interior
containers for employee, tenant, and customer use.
• Reasons why customer refused outreach material or services offered.
• Contamination training, including participants and pictures
• Types of material in waste stream the customer throws away and estimated
volumes.
• Customer’s interest and previous attendance in recycling and organics
training
• AB 1826 and SB 1383 compliance questions, including if they have any
implementation issues, refuse service, and if they are or should be
participating in edible food recovery.
The data collected can be utilized for regulatory compliance of a multiple recycling mandates.
18 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
Print & Electronic Tools
Our marketing team has perfected digital marketing
for community engagement. Today, Athens’ social
media averages an industry-leading 17% follower
engagement. This figure is not only higher than the
industry average but also higher than the national
average. We will utilize this high engagement to
connect with the community and other prominent
organizations to convey important dates and service
information. Athens is currently active on the
following platforms:
While we prioritize digital marketing to minimize
paper consumption, we realize that some customers
prefer mailers and handouts. Therefore, our
marketing team will also develop community hard
copy collateral to help educate your residents and
businesses.
Athens will provide quarterly newsletters to both
residential and multifamily customers by mail in their
bill or electronically. Newsletter content will include
service notifications and tips on proper sorting and
usage. These newsletters will contain legislative
information, as well as general information about the
City’s overall waste and recycling program, including
food recovery programs.
Athens will continue to distribute our annual
legislative brochure as a billing insert, by mail or
electronically.
Athens has developed video content containing
various waste and recycling training topics, and we
continue to grow our content library. These videos will
be available to all customers to help further provide
support as needed.
Interactive Ultimate Recycling Guide
Athens’ “What Goes Where Guide” is your interactive
zero-waste guide for correctly reusing, recycling, and
composting unwanted items. In collaboration with
Recyclist, Athens has developed this innovative guide
to help customers and communities identify the
proper stream for more than 350 materials types. The
interactive zero-waste guide provides:
• User friendly and promotes recycling
• Fully customizable and tailored to City needs
• Illustrate tips on reusing, reducing, and recycling
of 300+ everyday items
• Educational content about disposal options, safe
handling, and alternative recycling options
• Local information about drop-off and collection
programs
• Work seamlessly across devices with no
download required
• Provide mobile-friendly information with SEO
(Search Engine Optimization)
• Allow users to stay up-to-date with accurate
information
• Update easily and quickly given editorially
supported services
• Quantify utilization and traffic with Google
Analytics
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Twitter
19
APPENDIX C
Contamination Monitoring: Route Audits
SB 1383 places the responsibility of contamination monitoring on the jurisdictions. Athens is able to help with
this requirement by providing quarterly route reviews of organic collection routes. Reviews are conducted to
monitor contamination levels in waste stream. Athens has a trained team of professional auditors dedicated to
route reviews. Athens recently developed new technology that enhances the process.
Route Review Process
On a quarterly basis, the Athens will audit approximately 20% sampling of organic routes, both residential
and commercial. A residential route has approximately 1,000 customers per day, therefore we will target a
sampling of roughly 200 customers per day per route. Commercial organics routes have roughly 130 stops per
day. There we will target approximately 30 customers per route per day.
Route Review App
Route reviews are completed utilizing a custom app to help with this process. The app is similar to the
Outreach and Education app. The Route Review app enables our auditor team to track customers volumes and
contamination levels. The app guides auditors through a series of questions. The app also has the ability for
our team to upload photos of audited locations and containers, which will be made available to the City for
CalRecycle reporting purposes. Below is a screen shot of the route review app:
20 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
Route Review Dashboard
In addition to the Route Review app, Athens has developed a user friendly dashboard that summarizes and
populates the data collected from the route reviews. This dashboard contains information on the total number
of customers audited, total number of containers contaminated, the contamination percent, as well as a map
of the areas audited. This dashboard will be made available to the City, for regular monitoring.
Athens will store and manage this data on behalf of the City and provide the data needed for the City to submit
to CalRecycle for required reporting.
Notice of Violation
The information gathered from the quarterly route reviews will help Athens’ Outreach Team target outreach
efforts to minimize contamination, and will provide the backup validation to issue violation notices as required
under SB 1383. This notice will be issued on behalf of the City to the generator who is contaminating the waste
stream. It will include information regarding the contamination and will include photographic evidence of the
violation. Notices will be emailed or mailed based on the customer’s preference.
21
APPENDIX D
Data Management & Reporting
Athens Services utilizes its Soft-Pak customer database to monitor and report activity. Utilizing customized
tracking codes specific to your City, Athens will monitor outreach and education and incidents of
contamination. Using Athens’ fully customized recycling coordinator mobile app, and route review app, Athens
can quickly and accurately report site visits, waste assessments, and service level adjustments in our Soft-Pak
database.
Container Contamination Reporting:
SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to provide record keeping for container contamination. Athens will provide
the support needed to the City for this requirement. Athens will keep copies of the following, which will be
available to the City upon request:
1. A description of the jurisdiction’s process for determining the level of container contamination.
2. Documentation of route reviews conducted.
3. Copies of all notices issued to generators with prohibited container contaminants.
4. Documentation of the number of containers where the contents were disposed due to observation of
prohibited container contaminants.
5. The number of hauler route reviews conducted.
6. Description of the process for determining the level of contamination.
7. Summary report of non-collection notices and/or contamination processing fee assessment notices issued,
which for each notice shall include the date of issuance, customer name, and service address.
8. A record of each inspection and contamination incident, which shall include, at a minimum:
• Name of the Customer
• Address of the Customer
• The date the contaminated Container was observed
• The staff who conducted the inspection
• The total number of violations found and a description of what action was taken for each
• Copies of all notices, and enforcement orders issued or taken against generators with prohibited
container contaminants
• Any photographic documentation or supporting evidence
9. Documentation of the total number of containers disposed of due to observation of prohibited container
contaminants.
10. A list of all customers assessed contamination processing fees reported separately by residential, multi-
family, and commercial premises customers and including the customer name, customer address, and
reason for the assessment of the contamination processing fee, and the total number of instances
contamination processing fees were assessed in the month and the total amount of fees collected in the
month.
22 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
Complaint Reporting
Athens will maintain a record of all SB 1383 non-compliance complaints and responses to track the following
information:
1. Total number of complaints received and total number of complaints investigated.
2. Copies of documentation recorded for each complaint received, which shall at a minimum include the
following information:
• The complaint as received
• The name and contact information of the complainant, if the complaint is not submitted anonymously
• The identity of the alleged violator, if known
• A description of the alleged violation; including location(s) and all other relevant facts known to the
complainant
• Any relevant photographic or documentary evidence submitted to support the allegations in the
complaint
3. Copies of all investigation reports, which shall include at a minimum:
• The complaint as received
• The date Athens investigated the complaint
• Documentation of the findings of the investigation
• Any photographic or other evidence collected during the investigation
• Athen’s recommendation to the City on whether or not the entity investigated is in violation of SB 1383
based on the investigation
Generator Waivers
Athens will provide a report that documents each generator waiver request. This report will identify the
generator name and service address, the type of waiver requested, and the status of the waiver (accepted,
denied, pending).
Outreach Reporting
1. A copy of all education and outreach materials provided to generators, but not limited to: flyers, brochures,
newsletters, invoice messaging/billing inserts, and website and social media postings.
2. A record of the date and to whom the information was disseminated or direct contact made, in the form of
a list that includes: the generatorʹs name or account name, the type of education or outreach received; the
distribution date, and the method of distribution.
3. The number of organic waste generators and commercial edible food generators that received information
and the type of education and outreach used.
4. Athens will maintain a record of the date, a copy of the any mass distribution mailings or billing inserts, and
the type and number of accounts that received the information.
5. A copy of electronic media, including the dates posted of: social media posts, email communications, or
other electronic messages.
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6. Records of all technical assistance efforts conducted, including:
• The name and address of the customer/generator receiving technical assistance, and account number, if
applicable.
• The date of any technical assistance conducted and the type of technical assistance, including, but
not limited to: site visits, waste assessments, compliance assessments, direct outreach, workshops,
meetings, events, and follow-up communications.
• A copy of any written or electronic educational materials distributed during the technical assistance
process.
7. A copy of all special event reports submitted to the City in accordance with Section 4.4.6 of the Agreement.
Food Recovery Program Support
1. The total number of generators classified as Tier 1 and Tier 2 commercial edible food generators located
within the City.
2. The number of food recovery services and food recovery organizations located and operating within the
City.
3. The number of generators participating in the edible food recovery program.
APPENDIX D (cont.)
Data Management & Reporting
24 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
APPENDIX E
Procurement Support
Commencing January 1, 2022, a jurisdiction shall annually procure a quantity of recovered organic waste
products that meets or exceeds its current annual recovered organic waste product procurement target as
determined by CalRecycle’s procurement calculation. Athens has confirmed it can assist your City in meeting
the procurement requirements through the renewable natural gas utilized in our collection vehicles and
through providing compost to your City.
Renewable Natural Gas
Athens has eliminated 10,549 metric tons of climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions since 2012, which is
the equivalent of:
• 26,176,000 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle
• 1,700 Homes Powered by electricity for one year
• 1,187,000 Gallons of gasoline consumed
Investing in Clean Technology and Renewable Fuels
Our collection fleet is currently over 90% natural gas vehicles (NGVs) – the cleanest refuse vehicle commercially
available. In 2008, we committed to never adding a diesel vehicle to our collection fleet. We are committed to
retiring all diesel vehicles and making our entire collection fleet 100% natural gas vehicles by 2023.
Renewable Fuels
Over four years ago, Athens began investing in renewable natural gas (RNG)—a low carbon, renewable fuel
that is made from existing organic waste streams. As of 2019, renewable natural gas now composes 89% of our
total natural gas fuel use, which will continue to increase in the coming years.
Why Does Athens Use Natural Gas Vehicles?
• Reduce Emissions: The newest natural gas engines produce 90% fewer NOx emissions than the EPA’s
current heavy-duty emission standard.
• Minimize Maintenance: NGVs have no messy Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) regeneration or waste and
have no diesel exhaust fluid.
• Quieter in Communities: NGVs have engines 10 decibels quieter than their diesel equivalent, reducing
noise pollution in neighborhoods.
• Minimal Downtime: NGVs can run 600+ miles of daily operation without compromise.
• Safer for Residents and Drivers: When compared to traditional diesel vehicles, natural gas vehicles
provide a safer experience for drivers and residents by eliminating exposure to diesel fumes and odor.
• Utilize Locally Produced Fuel: NGVs, when fueled with RNG, utilize a renewable fuel produced in-state.
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What is Renewable Natural Gas?
Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a renewable fuel made by harnessing methane emitted by organic waste. The
methane can be harnessed from food and green waste, wastewater treatment plants, landfills, dairy farms,
and forest management. The methane is captured, cleaned, and injected into the existing natural gas pipeline
so that it can be transmitted and stored anywhere in the state. Once processed, RNG is a drop-in replacement
for conventional natural gas and can be used to fuel natural gas vehicles.
Composting
Athens recently invested in a multi-million dollar redevelopment effort of our American Organics facility in
preparation of the upcoming SB 1383 mandate. To read more about our facility and how it operates, please
refer to the attached article https://athensservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CASP-White-Paper-
Final.pdf.
American Organics
American Organics is another facility in the Athens family that is on the cutting edge of tech innovation.
Located in Victorville, the site recently completed major renovations at the 700 tons per day facility, with the
ability to divert 85% of organic material. The redesigned facility was converted from a traditional windrow,
outdoor windrow composting system to a Covered Aerated Static Pile (CASP) system. The renovation included
a 22,000-square-foot, covered processing center that will process 50 tons per hour on a fully automated
processing line.
American Organics material is Certified Organic by CDFA. It is OMRI certified, ensuring that both Organic and
Conventional operations can utilize it, and thus our material is available to 100% of users within the category.
We are a member of the United States Compost Council and maintain certification using their authorized third-
party laboratory for analytical testing or labs. These labs are a critical tool for product evaluation and quality.
26 Athens Services: SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
APPENDIX F
Food Recovery Support
Athens can provide support to the City with their Food Recovery program. Below is a summary on how Athens
can partner.
No later than January 1, 2022, Athens will identify all commercial customers that meet the definition of Tier
1 and Tier 2 Commercial Edible Food Generators and provide a list of these customers to the City, which shall
include:
• Customer name
• Service address
• Contact information
• Tier One or Tier Two classification
• Type of business (as it relates to the Tier One and Tier Two Commercial Edible Food Generator
definitions).
Athens will work with the City to help identify food recovery partners that can provide support to Tier 1 and
Tier 2 customers. The list of qualified food recovery partners will be placed on the Athens food donation
webpage, for customers to access. You can view this information at www.athensservices.com/fooddonation/.
At least annually, Athens provide Commercial Edible Food Generators with the following information:
• Information about the City’s Edible Food Recovery program
• Information about the Commercial Edible Food Generator requirements
• Information about Food Recovery Organizations and Food Recovery Services operating within the City,
and where a list of those Food Recovery Organizations and Food Recovery Services can be found
• Information about actions that Commercial Edible Food Generators can take to prevent the creation of
Food Waste
Athens will also provide the education information required by SB 1383 by including it with regularly scheduled
notices, education materials, billing inserts, or other information disseminated to commercial businesses. An
example of our food recovery outreach material is included below:
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SERVICE | PEOPLE | ENVIRONMENT