The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission adopts the Resolution and waive the formal competitive bidding requirement, by a 5/7ths vote, as permitted under Section 2-367(e) of the City Code, as being in the best interest of the City. Adopting the Resolution authorizes the City Manager to execute a new Professional Services Agreement with Miami Beach Conservancy, Inc., for the management and operation of the North Beach Composting Program, approving dedicated funding for continued operations in future fiscal years, subject to funding approval during the City’s annual budgetary process.

This purpose of this Resolution is to execute a new Professional Services Agreement with the Miami Beach Botanical Garden (Miami Beach Conservancy, Inc) to continue the day-to-day management and operations of the North Beach Community Composting Hub through FY 21/22, utilizing operating funds from the Environment and Sustainability Department’s Professional Services account. The existing agreement expired December 31, 2021.

In 2019, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2019-3091, approving the seventh amendment to the capital budget for FY 2018/2019. This amendment included granting $75,000 to begin a pilot community composting program in North Beach at 85th Street and Collins Avenue.

Due to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden’s experience in managing their own community composting site, the City executed a Professional Services Agreement (“Agreement”) on January 23, 2020 with the Miami Beach Conservancy, Inc. (“the Conservancy”), with an initial budget of $37,400 for the management of the North Beach Community Composting Pilot Project Hub. Services provided included a full-service composting program with logistical assistance, compost transformation, and community education (“the Program”). The Agreement allowed for one (1) renewal option, for a period not to exceed one (1) year, expiring on December 31, 2021.

On August 26, 2020, the North Beach Composting Hub located at 85 Street and Collins Avenue was officially opened to the community. In September 2021, to continue the Services provided by the Conservancy, the City and the Conservancy executed amendment No.1 exercising the renewal term and increasing the project budget by $15,000 for a total project amount of $52,400.00

The continued operations for the program is funded for FY 2021/ 2022 through the existing operating budget under the Environment and Sustainability Department. Funding for the program in upcoming fiscal years needs to be identified through the annual budget process to ensure the continuation of the program.

The North Beach Composting Hub is a popular service that brings the community together and provides valuable environmental and sustainability benefits. More than 330 individuals and families have registered for the composting program and participation continues to grow weekly. An approximate, 20,000 lbs. of food waste is dropped off monthly by participants, which totals over 340,000 lbs. of waste diverted since the launch of the program. Miami-Dade County, like many other communities, does not have large scale public composting facilities; therefore, community programs such as this one have become an integral part in the reduction of food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

The goal of the collaboration with the Miami Beach Conservancy, Inc. is to provide residents with an easily accessible compost option to reduce the amount of food waste that is sent to landfills. The Miami Beach Conservancy, Inc. has unmatched experience in the management of community composting programs including the one located on site at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The North Beach Compost Hub is an essential location in the North Beach area which allowed for the collection of food scrap material and transforms that food waste into nutrient rich soil. Creating awareness on the importance of waste reduction, repurposing of materials, and creation of organic gardens also enhances the community’s sustainability.

Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20-30% of what gets tossed in landfills. This equates to approximately 35 million tons of food per year. Once in the landfill, the nutrients in the scraps are lost, taking up space and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the form of methane. In addition to promoting waste reduction, communities can help combat this issue through the establishment of composting programs. Composting is the method of taking organic materials such as leaves, vegetables, and food scraps and turning them into a rich soil mixture (compost) using four basic ingredients: nitrogen, carbon, water, and air. Diverting food scrap waste into a regenerative system can improve the health of the soil and provide multiple community benefits through a closed loop system.

The 2019 Community Survey results indicate that 77.8% of residents have taken steps to reduce solid waste, including recycling & reducing single-use plastic.

$50,000 is included in the FY 2022 Operating Budget within the Sustainability Initiatives Professional Services account (178-6886-000312).

After careful consideration, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is uniquely qualified as our City’s public garden to provide composting services.   The Botanical Garden successfully manages their own on-site community composting hub and has ensured the North Beach Compost Hub’s pilot program success.