| | | | | | | | | | Item 4.
COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM | | | |
| | | | | | | | | TO: | Sustainability Resiliency Committee Meeting |
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| FROM:
| Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
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| | DATE: | April 23, 2019
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| | SUBJECT: | DISCUSS A COMPOSTING PROGRAM IN NORTH BEACH SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM AT THE MIAMI BEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN. |
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| | | | | | | | RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT:
Elizabeth Wheaton, Environment & Sustainability Director |
| | | | | | | | LEGISLATIVE TRACKING:
Item C4 U - March 13, 2019 Commission Meeting |
| | | | | | | | SPONSORED:
Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman |
| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND:
At the City Commission meeting on March 13, 2019, the Mayor and City Commission referred a discussion to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee (SRC) to discuss creating a composting program in North Beach similar to the program at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Aleman. At the March 26, 2019 Sustainability & Resiliency Committee, staff provided an overview of different types of composting programs that the city could explore. The Committee requested that staff develop a concept plan for a small program to be implemented in North Beach that is similar in scale to the composting site at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. |
| | | | | | | | Analysis
In April 2016, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden established its own composting program for residents. The compost program accepts approximately 10,000 lbs. of food scraps per year from members of the community. The onsite piles are positioned within a 25’ x 30’ area (750 square feet). Each pile is about six feet in diameter and can provide enough space for food scraps from 50-100 families per week. To adequately maintain the program and dependent on the amount of waste material, two staff members spend between 10 to 20 hours per week adding material to the pile or processing finished material. The final compost product is either used within the garden and/or provided to the families that participate for their own garden use.
At the March 20, 2019 Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, the city administration was directed to locate a potential site to begin a pilot composting program similar to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. After taking into consideration sizing requirements, accessibility, and current usage, staff identified a city owned site located at 226 87 Terrace (Attachment A). The northern portion of the site sits at the border of the Town of Surfside while the southern portion is adjacent to the offices for the 87 Park Residences development. This proposed site measures 15,313 square feet in total which includes a greenspace area measuring approximately 8,300 square feet. The remaining square footage is made of over a dozen city owned parking spaces providing an opportunity for residents to park and drop off compostable contents.
If the city were to implement a small-scale program comparable to the one that is established at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, an estimated $50,000-$75,000 would be needed to initiate the program. This includes start-up costs, labor, regular maintenance, and marketing. Oversight and supervision are an integral component of a successful composting program; therefore, staff will be needed to maintain the piles and monitor the material that is dropped off. A program of this size could service slightly over 100 households and can include some small businesses. The size requirement would be approximately 750-1000 square feet.
In 2017, the commission adopted resolution 2017-30103 (Attachment B) approving $75,000 in capital funds for sustainable projects at the North Beach Yard with the intention of obtaining a mechanical composting machine. The administration recommends referring this item to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee to discuss reallocating funds from the North Beach Yard to establish a composting pilot program within the proposed site.
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| | | | | | | | UPDATE:
The following is presented to the members of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee for discussion. The administration recommends referring this item to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee to discuss reallocating funds from the North Beach Yard that were dedicated for the purchase of a mechanical composter to establishing a composting program in North Beach. The composting program in North Beach will be managed by the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Staff at the botanical garden has agreed to and has vast experience in running a successful composting program.
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