City Council submits Intent to Comply with SB 1383 to CalRecyle
ATASCADERO — The Atascadero City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. The regular meeting was not preceded by a closed session this week.
The agenda for the night passed unanimously.
A video was shared where Alan Baker from Charles Paddock Zoo, Atascadero Battalion Chief Matt Miranda, and Deputy Director of Community Development and Chief Building Officer David Muehlhausen were given Employee Recognition for their combined 60+ years of service to the City of Atascadero on the steps of City Hall.
Mayor Pro Tem Heather Newsom gave a proclamation recognizing the 100-year anniversary of the Fire and Emergency Services in Atascadero. Fire Chief Casey Bryson received it virtually.
“Thank you very much for the nice proclamation, Mayor and Council,” Bryson said. “One hundred years is definitely something worth celebrating! It’s a milestone.”
The Consent Calendar passed unanimously. Community Choice Aggregation, which was discussed in full detail at the Feb. 8 meeting, was part of the calendar.
City Manager Rachelle Rickard gave city updates and invited Atascadero Police Chief Bob Masterson to update the community on D-20 and police staffing.
“Bottom numbers is we’re one officer shy position-wise and two dispatchers shy,” said Masterson.
The meeting then went into a public hearing on the ratification of approval of hazardous tree removal. Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore gave the presentation. A heritage live oak, planted around 1915, was removed from East Mall.
“What we’re looking at tonight is a post-removal,” Dunsmore said. “Normally we look at these things before they’re taken out, but in this case, the tree died, and it was an emergency situation.”
The conditions call for the property owner to replant a coast live oak on site. Dunsmore said that staff suggests that the city utilize its native tree funds to help the property owner replant a tree in the heritage live oak’s place. It would cost the city a maximum of $3,500 to help with this substantial tree replacement.
The motion passed unanimously.
Deputy City Manager Lara Christensen gave a management report presentation on SB 1383 for the New Solid Waste Requirements. SB 1383 calls for changes to the education, monitoring, purchasing, and reporting, leading to an increase in Atascadero’s solid waste rates and changes to solid waste collection.
SB 1383 was signed into law in September 2016 but didn’t become effective until Jan. 1, 2022.
“The purpose of SB 1383 is to reduce the emissions of short-lived climate pollutants,” stated Christensen.
Landfills are one of the three largest producers of methane gas. The statewide targets were 50% reduction by 2020, 75% reduction by 2025, and to include a 20% recovery of disposed of, editable food.
Residents in single-family and multi-family homes will now be required to have three trash cans, one for trash, one for recycling, and one for yard trimmings and food waste. Atascadero will also allow for waivers and self-hauling in some instances.
CalRecycle said, “if you could get everything done and have no, what they would consider a violation by Jun. 30, 2022, then you wouldn’t need to submit a notification of compliance.”
Christensen said that since Atascadero is negotiating an entirely new franchise agreement, it is in the city’s best interest to have a Notification of Intent to Comply in place. The extension would give Atascadero until Dec. 31, 2022.
Councilmember Charles Bourbeau made a motion to adopt the staff recommendation to introduce the first reading of the draft ordinance and to adopt draft resolutions submitting of intent to comply to CalRecyle with the changes as amended. Councilmember Mark Dariz seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
The next Atascadero City Council meeting will be held on Tues., Mar. 8, at 6 p.m
