DATE: June 28, 2016
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Memorandum of Understanding with California State University, East Bay to Establish the Sustainable City Year Program for a Total Amount Not to Exceed $75,000
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council authorizes the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and California State University, East Bay to jointly establish and fund the Sustainable City Year Program. The total amount contributed by the City will not exceed $75,000.
Body
BACKGROUND
Originating at the University of Oregon in 2009, the Sustainable City Year Program has been adopted as framework for partnerships between cities and universities nationwide. Under the Oregon model, university classes complete projects related to sustainability - defined broadly to include resilience and economic development - in response to the needs of partner cities. The benefiting City pays the University a fee, which covers the cost of program coordination, supplies, and course support. For an overview and a short video about SCYP, please visit https://sci.uoregon.edu/content/scyp-vs-epic-n.
The concept has since been adopted by many universities across the country including the University of Minnesota, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Cal State Monterey Bay. A complete list of participating universities is available at https://sci.uoregon.edu/content/epic-n-programs.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with Nico Larco, co-founder of the SCYP, to spread the model to other universities. As part of this effort, City staff has been in discussion with the EPA and faculty from CSU East Bay to explore a possible pilot program in Hayward. Jillian Buckholz, Director of Sustainability at CSUEB, came to the Sustainability Committee's March meeting to give a brief in...
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