TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all necessary agreements, and any subsequent amendments thereto, with CBS EcoMedia Inc. (EcoMedia), to receive $5,000 in grant funds to implement vertical garden components and a public education display in the existing Civic Center Edible Garden; and increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the Department of Development Services by $5,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On September 23, 2011, the City of Long Beach submitted a proposal to EcoMedia for a $5,000 EcoAd grant, with a goal to fund local Environmental Improvement projects. The EcoAd grant was not a traditional competitive grant. EcoMedia provided funding through a procured commitment from Waste Management to sponsor the grant amount to support the City’s goals of raising public awareness about environmental issues and sustainability.
The funded Environmental Improvement project to be implemented is to supplement the existing Civic Center Edible Garden with vertical garden components and a public education display to showcase sustainability initiatives in the City along with the benefits of recycling and composting. Vertical gardening components will demonstrate how to utilize small spaces and efficiently grow significant quantities of fresh produce. The featured Florafelt vertical planters to be placed along the parameter of the garden are made from 100% recycled PET plastic and use less water and fertilizer than traditional farming.
The Civic Center Edible Garden was established in 2010 with the purpose of educating the residents of Long Beach about urban gardening, and highlighting the benefits of growing and consuming food locally. The Office of Sustainability has successfully managed the Civic Center Edible Garden, and all excess produce is donated to local organizations.
The City has a previously established partnership with EcoMedia through the EcoZone program in 2002 and again in 2008, which provided the City with f...
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