AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET
DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste & Recycling Department and
Environmental Services Department
CM/ DCM/ ACM: Mario Canizares
DATE: October 23, 2017
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report, hold a discussion and provide staff direction regarding the Solid Waste Department’s and Watershed Protection division’s community sponsorship program.
Body
BACKGROUND
In September, Denton Municipal Electric (DME) discussed its approach to sponsorships with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and City Council. During these discussions, staff was directed to gather additional information regarding sponsorships and to develop an approval process for sponsorship requests.
The proposed sponsorship program is highlighted below:
• Specific criteria will be required to be met before sponsorships are approved
o Must be a 501c3 organization
o Must be a non-discriminatory organization
o Sponsored organization must further a charitable cause or public interest
o Organization must recognize City of Denton and DME at event and/or marketing materials
• No funds will be given to internal City departments or organizations
• Any sponsorship request over $2,500 will be presented to PUB and Council for individual approval
• A list of organizations that receive any sponsorship will be distributed to the PUB and Council quarterly
In recent years, the Solid Waste department has sponsored a variety of community events and organizations to promote recycling and sustainability. For FY 2016-17, the department’s sponsorship expenditures totaled $21,220, and an amount of $22,060 has been budgeted for sponsorships in the upcoming year. Exhibit 2 provides a breakdown of the organizations and events that received funding in each of the last two fiscal years.
Because Solid Waste’s sponsorship program is very similar to DME’s, staff recommends adhering to the criteria detailed above. Following FY 2017-18, the department plans to reduce its sponsorship budget from $22,060 to $15,000 to better align the budget with historical spending and the criteria detailed above. If these provisions are agreed upon by PUB and Council, staff will bring back a formal policy for approval.
In a similar manner, the Watershed Protection division allocates funds annually for sponsoring specific Keep Denton Beautiful (KDB) programs. For FY 2016-17, the department’s sponsorship expenditures totaled $9,500, and an amount of $8,000 has been budgeted for KDB sponsorships in the upcoming year. Exhibit 3 provides a breakdown of the KDB programs that received funding in each of the last two fiscal years
Watershed Protection's partnership agreement with KDB enhances our ability to meet goals of the City's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) cost effectively. Public education, outreach and involvement, and illicit discharge detection and elimination are two of the required six minimum measures of the City’s MS4 permit. The City of Denton identified best management practices that will be executed to meet each of the six minimum measures in our TCEQ approved Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). Our SWMP includes two annual clean up events as best management practices to meet Public Education, Outreach and Involvement criteria. Watershed Protection divisions financial support of the Great American Clean-Up allows capitalizing KDB network of volunteers, skills at event and volunteer coordination, online registration portal, and ability to be reimbursed supplies from Keep Texas Beautiful.
Watershed Protection supports the Redbud Festival, the City's annual Arbor Day festival. It is an important platform temporally and audience-wise to convey messages regarding proper fertilizer and pesticide usage. We also engage in educating proper disposal of yard waste in stormwater inlets and provide of spills reporting hotline information for reporting illicit discharges. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination is also part of the six minimum measure of our MS4 permit.
The Watershed Protection division supports two Environmental Education Grants for promoting outdoor environmental educational of the next generations. Previously awarded projects encouraged children to engage in the natural settings and introduce them to concepts of ecological values and functions, water quality, stormwater reuse or water conservation.
For the past two fiscal years contributions has been made to the Mural Art Initiative for promoting awareness on water quality and stormwater. A citizen awareness survey conducted in 2005 in conjunction with University of North Texas (UNT) found that roughly 50% of respondents thought stormwater was treated at a wastewater plant. Education on this topic is key to elicit behavioral changes to increase source water protection of Lewisville Lake and meeting the goals of the City's MS4 stormwater permit.
FISCAL INFORMATION
Sponsorships from the Solid Waste Department and Watershed Protection are funded from the departments’ operating funds.
STRATEGIC PLAN RELATIONSHIP
The City of Denton’s Strategic Plan is an action-oriented road map that will help the City achieve its vision. The foundation for the plan is the five long-term Key Focus Areas (KFA): Organizational Excellence; Public Infrastructure; Economic Development; Safe, Livable, and Family-Friendly Community; and Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship. While individual items may support multiple KFAs, this specific City Council agenda item contributes most directly to the following KFA and goal:
Related Key Focus Area: Organizational Excellence
Related Goal: 1.1 Manage financial resources in a responsible manner
EXHIBITS
1. Presentation
2. Solid Waste Sponsorship Expenditures
3. Watershed Protection Sponsorship Expenditures
4. Keep Denton Beautiful 2015 Agreement
Respectfully submitted:
Ethan Cox
Director of Solid Waste