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Staff would also work with Stopwaste.org on the implementation of the Strategic Plan, which <br /> includes specific efforts at the county level for achieving new diversion and reducing the <br /> prevalence of hard to manage products and packaging. Stopwaste.org currently does not have a <br /> countywide strategy for managing polystyrene food service ware, but may develop one within <br /> the next few years. <br /> Fiscal Impact <br /> Due to declining recycling grant revenues and increasing program costs, the Recycling Program <br /> is operating at a $10,000 per year deficit. An additional $90,000 in grant funding will be lost in <br /> two years when the county discontinues the annual Import Mitigation grant to local jurisdictions. <br /> Staff projects that the Recycling Program will exhaust fund reserves within the next three years <br /> and additional funding will be needed to administer state mandated waste diversion efforts. Since <br /> a polystyrene food service ware ordinance is not identified as a new diversion program in the <br /> Recycling Program budget, alternative funding is needed for the full cost of the program. <br /> CONCLUSION <br /> Staff is requesting that the Rules Committee review the various options for implementing a food <br /> service ware ordinance that considers staffing constraints and fiscal impacts, and provide staff <br /> with direction based on these options.The ordinance is not currently identified in the <br /> department's work plan or budget, so funding would need to be identified and staff activities <br /> would need to be redirected. Although, other cities have adopted polystyrene bans because of <br /> perceived benefits to the environment, staff does not have sufficient information, at this time, to <br /> make such a determination. Based on the data available to staff, a polystyrene ban will have <br /> limited waste diversion and litter reduction potential in San Leandro. As such, staff recommends <br /> that the committee consider community outreach and voluntary efforts before imposing a <br /> polystyrene food service ware ban. <br /> 4 <br />