Agenda

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SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	11/28/2022
Subject: RECOMMEND Adoption by the Board of Supervisors of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (Carrie Ricci, Cindy Shehorn, Department of Public Work
Submitted For:	Brian M. Balbas, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Department:	Public Works
Referral No.:
Referral Name:	RECOMMEND Adoption by the Board of Supervisors of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (Carrie Ricci, Cindy Shehorn, Department of Public Works)
Presenter:	Cindy Shehorn and Carrie Ricci, Department of Public Works	Contact:	Cindy Shehorn, (925) 957-2495

Information

Referral History:

At the August 1, 2019, Sustainability Committee meeting, the Committee received a presentation from the Departments of Public Works and Conservation and Development regarding Contra Costa County’s sustainable purchasing practices. The report outlined many areas where Contra Costa County has initiated efforts to address climate and sustainability, including the Climate Action Plan, energy management, alternative fuel vehicles, as well as responsible purchasing of products used throughout the County.

The County’s Procurement Manager discussed the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EPP) which was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 15, 2008. The Sustainability Committee requested that the policy be reviewed and updated.

Referral Update:

The Public Works Purchasing Division staff have taken the following steps to develop the updated policy:

Reviewed EPPs for other agencies including, Alameda County, City & County of San Francisco, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, and the cities of Berkeley and San Jose.
Reviewed STOPWASTE’S Sustainable Procurement Policy Template and Model Policy template.
Met with staff from Responsible Purchasing Network (RPM) and learned about resources such as RPN’s Sustainable Procurement Playbook and looked for opportunities to incorporate best practices into the County EPP.
Attended a Hazardous Materials Committee meeting in April 2022 and a Hazardous Materials Commission meeting in May 2022 to receive input on proposed policy wording regarding Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and the County’s use of treated wood. The commission discussed these items at their June 2022 and sent proposed language to Purchasing staff. Suggested language has been added to the proposed new EPP.
Received input from the Department of Information Technology and the following divisions within the Public Works Department: Design/Construction, Fleet Services, Capital Projects, Maintenance, Facilities, and Custodial.
Met with the County’s Sustainability Coordinator to receive input and revisions.
Reviewed the draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) initiatives to ensure consistency between the CAP and EPP.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECOMMEND Adoption by the Board of Supervisors of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (Carrie Ricci, Cindy Shehorn, Department of Public Works)

Fiscal Impact (if any):

There is no fiscal impact at this time. Many of the initiatives in the new EPP are being implemented now. There will be fiscal impacts in emerging areas such as low carbon concrete and Senate Bill 1383 organic waste purchase and reuse as these initiatives move forward. The specific impacts are unknown at this time.

Attachments
DRAFT Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy