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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04202010 - PR.2RECOMMENDATION(S): RECOGNIZE the new Bay Area Green Businesses for 2010, as recommended by the Health Services Director. FISCAL IMPACT: None. BACKGROUND: Green Business Program Highlights: * Almost 50 new Green Businesses in Contra Costa, with almost 400 current Green Businesses in Contra Costa * The Bay Area Green Business Program has surpassed the 2,000 mark, for certified Green Businesses in the Bay Area! * Four public agencies were certified, including the Martinez and Richmond City Halls, Contra Costa College’s Collision Repair Program and the Offices of Board Member Federal Glover * Our first winery—Captain Vineyards in Moraga, and our first garbage hauler—Allied Waste. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 04/20/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: Randall Sawyer, 646-2286 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: April 20, 2010 David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: KATHERINE SINCLAIR, Deputy cc: Tasha Scott, Barbara Borbon, Robin Bedell-Waite PR. 2 To:Board of Supervisors From:William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director Date:April 20, 2010 Contra Costa County Subject:Annual Recognition of New Green Businesses * Collaboration with Chambers of Commerce: We’ve certified the Hispanic, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek Chambers, and have been partnering in projects BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) to promote certification of their members. * Inroads into East County: A workshop was held out in East County to encourage businesses to consider Green Business certification. Despite the economy, the numbers are growing. * Completed our database for businesses to be able to apply online, and for us to track measurable results, ensure consistency between counties and go paperless. * A full-page ad in the Contra Costa Times listing all of our Green Businesses, and completion of a marketing toolkit for Green Businesses to help them market themselves as green. Requirements to Become a Green Business As you know, they all meet the high standards of environmental excellence set by the Program’s partnership: * They fully comply with all our environmental agencies: Hazardous Materials, fire, storm water, wastewater and the Air District; and * They conserve energy, water and other natural resources; and prevent pollution from any hazardous wastes. The program’s partners—24 environmental agencies and cities in Contra Costa—have worked hard this last year to achieve our vision of Contra Costa as a place where businesses contribute to the sustainability of our communities by being green themselves. Our annual report and two newsletters are attached to help convey the accomplishments of this past year. NEW CONTRA COSTA GREEN BUSINESSES District 1: Kensington: Karine Brighten Events, Nan Phelps Photography; El Cerrito: Full Circle Landscapes, Windrush School; Richmond: Cantoo, Green Energy Solutions, Interactive Resources, Richmond City Hall, Toot-a-Lou Family Daycare; San Pablo: Contra Costa College Collision Repair Program District 2: Pinole: Mechanics Bank; Hercules: Hyperlogik; Lafayette: Absolute Center, ECOlunchboxes, Elmwood Stationers; Martinez: Bill’s Chairs for Affairs, Martinez City Hall; Pacheco: Allied Waste; Walnut Creek: Banana Creative District 3: Discovery Bay: Uplifting Green; San Ramon: Accela, Heartwood Studios, INSZoom.com, Ricoh Business Solutions, Tysaau Consulting; Walnut Creek: Green Wheelin’ Scooters, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, RINA Accountancy Corporation, Stanford’s Restaurant & Bar, Stonefield Josephson, The Gardens at Heather Farm, Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce District 4: Pleasant Hill: Braver Designs, Creative Office, Payless Painting, Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce; Concord: American Automobile Association, Just Floors, The Garden Artisan District 5: Antioch: EcoNexus, Emerald Consulting, Monster Worms; Pittsburg: Board Member Federal Glover ATTACHMENTS G:\C&G DIRECTORY\NON CONTRACTS\GBPAnnualRept09.doc Green Business Program Annual Report 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 443 businesses have been certified as Green Businesses since 1998 through a partnership of 25 local agencies and cities that provide funding ($56,144), active leadership, staff time and resources to certify businesses. In addition to the program meeting its goals and objectives for the year, the partnership continues to be a strong, focused group aimed at working together to strategically and successfully green Contra Costa’s businesses. Highlights of 2009 60 new Green Businesses were certified in Contra Costa—and almost 2000 in the Bay Area. Three public agencies were certified locally (City Halls of El Cerrito and Richmond, and the offices of County Board of Supervisors Member Federal Glover). East County workshop to help businesses apply for our program—yielding the largest number of businesses certified in East County. Stronger partnership with local Chambers of Commerce—Antioch, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek, and the Hispanic Chamber. Creation of a new, online database that will yield measurable program results and allow the program to go paperless, while creating consistency between programs statewide. A completely refreshed website, both graphically and structurally. A strengthened statewide alliance of Green Business Programs (with more counties working to implement the program), and a growing number of programs outside of California—Florida and Maryland. The completion of the upgrading of standards throughout all seventeen checklists. MISSION OF THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM To strengthen and sustain the quality of the environment in Contra Costa County through a collaborative partnership of public and private organizations that encourages, enables and recognizes businesses taking action to prevent pollution and conserve resources. 1 2 GOALS (2008-2010) FOR THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM 1. To expand the program to sustainable levels by increasing the number of participating businesses and business sectors, including governmental agencies. 2. To encourage improved environmental performance of GBs by ensuring checklists that reflect up-to-date standards and technologies. 3. To improve the visibility and marketing of the program and of the participating businesses. 4. To build a strong program partnership to support the implementation of the Green Business Program. 5. To create sufficient organizational capacity to successfully operate the program. INTRODUCTION The focus of Contra Costa’s environmental agencies is to protect the environment by preventing pollution and conserving natural resources. In an effort to further these goals, they have partnered to implement the Green Business Program (GBP). By leveraging resources and combining expertise, the GBP works with Contra Costa businesses to address a full range of environmental concerns all at the same time. This is done in a cooperative, direct and personal way with businesses. The program began by working with auto repair shops in 1998, and expanded to all businesses in 2002. Each business is certified for compliance with all environmental regulations (hazardous materials, air, wastewater and storm water), and achievement of specific standards to conserve water and energy, prevent pollution, reduce waste and conserve resources. The GBPs in the nine counties of the Bay Area are coordinated by ABAG (the Association of Bay Area Governments), through its Hazardous Waste Committee. ABAG ensures consistency between the programs and hosts the program’s website: www.greenbiz.ca.gov. There are now 1,600 certified Green Businesses. This annual report covers who the partners are in the Green Business Program, our goals, as well as an evaluation of progress in achieving these goals, a budgetary report, and our revised strategic plan and goals for the future. GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP The Green Business Program partnership is made up of virtually every public agency within the County working to protect the environment, including those focusing on stormwater, wastewater, air, fire, hazardous materials, reduction of solid waste, conservation of water and energy, and reduction of greenhouse gases. 3 As partners, each of these entities provides a variety of support for the Program: • Leadership and program guidance • Funding • Materials and other resources • Inspections or audits of businesses • Expertise in setting program standards • Promotion of the program to businesses and community • Referrals of worthy businesses • Green Business certification of their own entities to show the community that they are leading by example Contra Costa’s Green Business Partners • Contra Costa Hazardous Materials • Contra Costa Clean Water Program • Central Contra Costa San. District • Mt. View Sanitary District • Delta Diablo Sanitation District • West County Wastewater District • Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority • West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority • CCC Watershed Program • City of Antioch • City of Bentwood • City of Concord • Town of Danville • City of Martinez • City of Pittsburg • City of Richmond • City of San Ramon • City of Walnut Creek • PG&E • Contra Costa Water District • EBMUD • San Ramon Valley Fire District • Bay Area Air Quality Mgmt. District • 511 Contra Costa EVALUATION OF 2009 PROGRAM GOALS &OBJECTIVES In 2001, 2004 and again in 2007, long-term planning by the GBP Partners yielded a strategic plan and program goals to guide the program for the subsequent three years. Below is an evaluation of work done in 2009 to achieve these goals. Program Goal 1: To expand the program to sustainable levels by increasing the number of participating businesses and business sectors, including governmental agencies. For 2009 we set several specific objectives for this goal. Objective 1: To certify 50 new businesses. Results: We certified 60 new businesses Objective 2: To certify two partner or public agencies. Results: Three public agencies were certified: City Halls of El Cerrito & Richmond, and County Board Member Federal Glover Objective 3: To re-certify 125 businesses. Results: 25 businesses were recertified 4 60 new businesses were certified, bringing the total number certified to 443. Growing the program in sustainable ways—rather than certifying as many as possible—continues to be a focus of the partnership. As the number of businesses needing recertification grows and as the standards of certification for Green Businesses rises, program staff and auditors are spending more time on recertifications. Additionally, the new database for completing checklists adds more time to recertification for those unfamiliar with it. All of this has slowed up the recertification process. The program is adding the most businesses ever in East County, despite the downturn in the economy. A workshop, held in Antioch to help make it easier for businesses to complete the Green Business checklist, was co-sponsored by the Cities of Antioch and Pittsburg, PG&E and Allied Waste. Momentum has increased because of this effort, as well as more businesses hearing about the program. The chambers of commerce in various cities continue to partner with the Green Business Program and to promote being green to their members. The newly certified Pleasant Hill Chamber held a mixer focused on being green, while the Walnut Creek Chamber laid the foundation for kicking off a two-pronged approach to greening their members: They can initially become a “Green-Minded Business” by implementing one of the more difficult green measures (and it is verified by a volunteer of the Chamber), and then become a fully certified Green Business. The Chamber will be hosting training workshops for both of these steps. The most significant new step for the program is the creation of a new online database where businesses will apply for the Green Business Program. This database, serving the various Green Business Programs throughout the state, is aimed at yielding specific, measurable data on the impact of the program and at the same time, allowing the program to go paperless. All businesses will begin completing online their checklists, which will also allow us to share the checklists with partner inspectors and auditors. The database has taken enormous time to bring online, while ultimately strengthening the program. Program Goal 2: To encourage improved environmental performance of GBs by ensuring checklists that reflect up-to-date standards and technologies. 2009 marked the completion of a multi-year upgrade to our standards in all seventeen checklists. The last step was to take the changes made to the Pollution Prevention section and spread them into all of the checklists. The program does not anticipate needing such a significant upgrade to the standards for a number of years. Program Goal 3: To improve the visibility and marketing of the program and of the participating businesses. The ABAG website has been completely refreshed, both graphically and structurally. The graphics were taken from the work done in 2007 to reach out to more businesses. Also unveiled was the marketing toolkit created by the program for use of Green Businesses as they 5 continue to market themselves as green. The next step will be to create a fully searchable database of businesses on the website. Finally, the program continued to do its standard program promotion: In September, due to the large number of businesses, we had to change our advertising strategy of listing all of the businesses in the county. We were able to obtain a terrific location for our color ad on the weather page of the Contra Costa Times. We continue to participate in various community events—West County & John Muir Earth Day events, West County (Pinole) and Richmond Trade Shows, Pittsburg Chamber luncheon, Pleasant Hill Chamber green mixer, Danville Chamber/Town presentation on GBP, the East Bay Business Times Power Breakfasts in Antioch and Concord; and the monthly Green Lunches. Program Goal 4: To build a strong program partnership to support the implementation of the Green Business Program. The partnership continues to seek self-education of all environmental issues and programs in the county. Towards this end we have dedicated a significant amount of time at our quarterly meetings to presentations on what the partners are particularly focusing on, and exploring in depth any issues that they may be having. Program Goal 5: To create sufficient organizational capacity to successfully operate the program. A strength of the GBP continues to be the partners themselves, and their ability to work together effectively. These partners contribute in essential ways: funding, staffing, policymaking, program promotion and providing referrals for the program. The partnership itself includes 25 partners. The interest and importance of all of the partners is evidenced in the work done every three years to strategically plan the future direction of the program. BUDGETARY REPORT Contributions to the Green Business Program are made on a fiscal-year basis. Contra Costa Hazardous Materials continues to provide funding for the program coordinator, with the partners contributing an additional $56,144 in FY08/09. This contribution funds program staff ($36,000) to work directly with businesses, promoting the program and verifying the pollution prevention part of the checklist. The remaining funds are dedicated to program promotion and materials. 6 THREE-YEAR GOALS (08-10) FOR THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM These goals, with their associated outcomes, provide the program with both its general direction and guide the setting of specific annual objectives. 1. To expand the program to sustainable levels by increasing the number of participating businesses and business sectors, including governmental agencies. Outcomes: This goal will be satisfactorily met when: a. Appropriate educational materials have been developed and distributed to businesses considering certification. b. Inspectors regularly make referrals to the Green Business Program. c. The program focuses on business types selected in response to environmental considerations, size and partner needs. d. The annual targeted goal is met for the number of businesses certified e. The certification process runs smoothly, in a timely fashion, and with opportunity for problems encountered at a business to be resolved. f. Partners have been either partially or fully certified. g. The GBP continues to emphasize certification of public organizations. h. Green Businesses are recertified every three years. 2. To encourage improved environmental performance of GBs by ensuring checklists that reflect up-to-date standards and technologies. Outcomes: This goal will be satisfactorily met when: a. Checklists used for certification and recertification have appropriate standards to meet the environmental expectations of the partners, and exceed current business practices. b. Ongoing education of GBs occurs through the biannual GBP newsletter and email communications with GBs on trainings, events and information on how to be green. 3. To improve the visibility and marketing of the program and of the participating businesses. Outcomes: This goal will be satisfactorily met when: a. More prominent use and recognition of the GBP logo and tagline (Environmental Values at Work) occurs. b. Green Businesses have sufficient tools to market themselves effectively. c. Program promotion to the public includes: • Website • Promotional materials distributed to GBs • Environmental and business fairs (identified by partners) • Promotions by partners within their own jurisdictions • Partner newsletters d. The website is revamped to effectively serve the public, GBs and the media. e. We strategically market the program to the public. 7 f. Outreach resources such as materials, appearances at events, and giveaways are leveraged and shared among partners, reducing costs for all. g. Develop partnerships with Chambers of Commerce. h. Measured environmental results of participating in the GBP are communicated to the public. i. PR effectiveness with GBs and the public has been measured. 4. To build a strong program partnership to support the implementation of the Green Business Program. Outcomes: This goal will be satisfactorily met when: a. A sufficient number of partners have joined to successfully implement the program. b. All appropriate environmental agencies and cities have been identified and encouraged to participate. c. Partners are provided program updates and program evaluations and/or annual reports. d. Sufficient training in compliance and/or pollution prevention/resource conservation is provided. e. The Green Business Program is seen as a valuable asset to the partners and a means to achieve their own environmental protection, conservation and public relations goals. 5. To create sufficient organizational capacity to successfully operate the program. Outcomes: This goal will be satisfactorily met when: a. An effective organizational structure and process are in place. b. Appropriate policies and procedures have been developed and implemented. c. Sufficient funding from GBP partners exists to realize our goals and outcomes. d. Sufficient funding from outside sources exists to realize our goals and outcomes. e. Partner agencies commit sufficient personnel as inspectors and auditors to successfully certify Green Businesses. f. Roles are clearly defined for the steering committee, its task forces and subcommittees, and program staff.