Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6f. Hermann and Hill - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum City of San Luis Obispo Council Agenda Correspondence DATE: September 15, 2026 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager Prepared By: Robert Hill, Sustainability and Natural Resources Official VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager SUBJECT: ITEM #6f - COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH (1) THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND (2) THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CLIMATE COALITION Staff received the following question from a Council Member regarding the SLO County Green Business Program operated by the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO). The question is shown below with staff’s response shown in italics: 1) Why isn’t the Green Business Network included as a funded portion of the ECOSLO Community Partnership Agreement? The draft Community Partnership Agreement presented with the Council Agenda Report identifies the SLO County Green Business Program (Program) operated by ECOSLO as a prospective future element of the partnership between the City and ECOSLO, but it is not part of the current scope of work. As background, there are currently 42 certified green businesses in the Program in the County, about 80% of which are based in the City of San Luis Obispo. According to ECOSLO, there are an additional 160 regional businesses currently in some stage of the certification process. The Program is part of the statewide California Green Business Network (CAGBN) and provides free technical assistance and resources to help small and medium-sized businesses improve their operations, cut costs, and reduce their environmental impact. The CAGBN provides access to the GreenBiz Tracker for approximately $7,000 annually; the tracker is a web-based platform designed to facilitate the operation of Green Business certification programs with robust data tracking, sustainability metrics, and reporting capabilities. Statewide, local participation in green business programs varies but is typically funded by county governments and other regional agencies. In SLO County, the program has historically been supported by the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-Ren) and Cuesta College. These organizations have decided to no longer fund (or fully fund) Program participation. ITEM #6f - COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH (1) THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND (2) THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CLIMATE COALITION Page 2 As described in the staff report, the City has partnered with ECOSLO for over 30 years on various environmental efforts. Attachment C to the Council Agenda Report provides ECOSLO’s 2026-27 funding request of $42,991, which includes tasks for tree planting, maintenance, and volunteer management, as well as customary reporting and coordination with City staff. This scope is supported by both the Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources program budget and the Tourism Business Improvement District Board (TBID). ECOSLO has indicated they do not wish to adjust the current scope of work under this agreement to include activities related to the Green Business Program, as they need to also maintain the integrity of and prior investments in their tree planting program. Staff have suggested to ECOSLO that larger and ongoing requests for financial support are best addressed as part of the biennial financial planning process along with concurrent advocacy to other potential funders. It is staff’s understanding that ECOSLO can maintain the program at modest levels in the interim. The adopted program budgets and work plans for the Offices of Sustainability and Natural Resources and Economic Development and Tourism are unable to accommodate unplanned requests for ongoing support to fully sustain the Program. However, staff has been in contact with ECOSLO to better understand the current circumstances facing the Program and identify longer-term partnership opportunities through the Climate Action Plan update. Staff are also evaluating whether there are ways the organization may be suited to assist with other areas of planned and budgeted work in the current fiscal year, which would be addressed separately from this Council item.