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Home My WebLink About16 - Support for Green Restaurant AssociationITEM 16 TO: Members of the Newport Beach City Council FROM: Dave Kiff, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Support for the Green Restaurant Association RECOMMENDED (1) Authorize Mayor Adams to issue a letter to Newport Beach's restaurants ACTIONS: recommending membership in the Green Restaurant Association; and (2) Authorize the City to join the GRA for one year at $950.00 BACKGROUND: Newport Beach's recreational waters (the ocean and the bay) face many challenges that impair the quality of the water, including debris, metals from brake dust, bacteria from runoff, vessel waste, and waterfowl, and toxic materials from old bay uses (like shipyards) and current fertilizer and pesticide uses. While residences in and around the bay can contribute to water quality problems, water quality experts often point to commercial entities - especially Newport Beach's nearly 400 restaurants - as potentially significant sources of bay and ocean water contamination. This contamination can come from bacteria sent into the water by illegal hosedowns of food material and mats, trash from food packaging materials, and even sewage when a restaurant's cooking activities affect a wastewater line. That said, our restaurants are important to Newport Beach's "quality of life' - both for their service to visitors and to residents. Further, restaurants are the largest single source of sales tax revenue for the City, enabling us to meet important public safety and municipal service needs. Finally, many restaurants recognize that a clean, attractive Bay and Ocean is integral to the value that restaurant patrons receive when they come to Newport to eat out. Last year, a representative of a local non - profit firm called Earth Resources Foundation met with City and Orange County staff to introduce the "Green Restaurant Association," a San Diego -based organization (www.dinegreen.com) that works to educate restaurant owners and employees as to safe environmental practices. The GRA invites membership at a variety of pricing levels - in turn, it offers its "seal of approval" for restaurants that agree to be "green." The GRA asks its members to embark upon a 12 -step program to improve the way the restaurant impacts the environment. The 12 steps are: 1. Elimination of StyrofoamT" use 2. Comprehensive recycling 3. Use of non - chlorine bleached pager products 4. Use of recycled materials for packaging 5. Waste reduction 6. Product re -use 7. Energy efficiency 8. Water efficiency 9. Use of cleaners that are safer for the environment 10. Employee education about recycling and water quality 11. Use of green electricity 12. Acceptance of a full environmental site assessment of the facility If a restaurant agrees to work on the 12 -step program, it can advertise itself as a Green Restaurant using the following icon in its window: FIED 1 S w, Green cest�gkr�K {619) 233 -MOD About 55 restaurants in Orange and San Diego counties (only one in Newport Beach - Peet's Coffee and Tea in CDM) are members of the GRA, including another 10 in the last six months (at a higher enrollment rate). Membership in the GRA is typically as follows: e 1 Year — $950.00 Fee includes yearlong environmental consultation, employee education, connections to "green" suppliers, publicity via signs, listing in the Green Restaurant Guide, listing on the www.dinegreen.com website, and media exposure. e 3 Year — $800 /year. Same as one -year membership plus a web banner. e "Lifetime Steward" — $600 /year. Same as 3 -year membership plus "lifetime demarcation in ads and Green Restaurant Guide." After I met with representatives of the GRA, I presented their information to the Harbor Quality Citizens Advisory Committee (HQAC) as a way to help educate restaurants about ways to protect the Bay and Ocean. At its meeting on May 3, 2001, HQAC voted unanimously to recommend to the City Council that it 2 authorize Mayor Adams to send a letter to all of Newport's 400 restaurants to encourage them to join the Green Restaurant Association. Since Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson's office has been interested in this issue as well, we proposed that he co -sign the letter with the Mayor. Less than a week later, students from Newport Harbor High School, in an attempt to educate the region about the environmental impacts of excessive and non - biodegradable packaging materials, held a press briefing at the Santa Ana River mouth. The students identified StyrofoaruT" as a significant source of beach debris and asked that Newport Beach join them in asking residents and businesses to work to limit the use of StyrofoamT" in the city. Because the elimination of StyrofoamTO is the GRA's "first step," I believe that the GRA can effectively communicate this important message. In preparing for this Agenda Item, Ms. Stephanie Barger, a Corona del Mar resident and staff member for the Earth Resources Foundation, has spoken with representatives of Newport Beach's restaurant community and has received initial support for the GRA. I have discussed with Ms. Barger having the City join the GRA as well at $950 for at least a year since we are trustees for several restaurant facilities (including Ruby's on the Pier, Newport Pier Seafood, the Balboa Bay Club, the concessionaire at CDM State Beach). THIS AGENDA This Agenda Item asks the City Council to authorize the Mayor to sign the ITEM: attached letter to Newport Beach's restaurants encouraging them to join the Green Restaurant Association. Costs associated with preparing and mailing the letter are about $200.00 and can be addressed within the current budget. The cost associated with the City's membership is $950 and can also be addressed within the current budget. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A - Copy of Draft Letter to Restaurants Attachment B - Information regarding the Green Restaurant Association 3 DRAFT June XX, 2001 Title First Last Name of Restaurant Street Address Newport Beach, California ZIP RE: Bay - Friendly Restaurants Dear Title Last: wwN.w R Over the past two years, the public, the media, and government regulators have taken a new interest in the quality of Newport Bay's water. You know as well as I do how important a clean, clear, and safe Bay is for our economy. It's frightening to think of what might have happened to Newport Beach had we experienced the same water quality problems as Huntington Beach did in 1999. The good news is that Newport Bay is a remarkably clean water body despite our highly urbanized environment. But we can and must do better. Federal regulators have declared that Newport Bay is an "impaired" water body subject to strict limits on pollutants. Keeping these pollutants out of the Bay can be fairly straightforward if we work at it. Too many of us - residences, office workers, and restaurant operators alike - forget these common things: • Every time you hose down a mat, awning, trash area, dumpster, or food container, the material goes straight into the Bay - the drains you may be hosing material into never enter a sewage treatment system. If your restaurant is adjacent to the Bay, you can literally watch your trash and waste material enter the Bay within minutes. • Hosing or washing ANY material into those drains (see above) is a violation of the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit and our municipal code (NBMC section 14.36.030). The action is subject to citation and a $100, $200, or $500 fine (a fine which grows exponentially for successive violations). But that's not the reason for this letter. If I were you, I'd rather hear about solutions than threats of enforcement. That's where the Green Restaurant Association comes in. The Green Restaurant Association is a non - profit organization based in San Diego County but interested in branching out to Newport Beach. As a part of the Association's initial Orange County effort, restaurants in Dana Point will likely be asked to consider joining, too. While the City and the County are not often in a position to endorse an organization like the GRA, this is a fairly innovative group that has piqued our interest. We've long been looking for a way to proactively work with restaurants to be the best stewards of the Bay that you can be. The GRA has a 12 -step program for its members. Basic membership is $950 a year - membership includes educational materials and regular on -site training for your staff. Recognition comes in the form of signs for your window, listing in a Green Restaurant Guide, and media exposure. We realize that this is a relatively new concept for you and for us - therefore we're asking today that we take steps to join the GRA for at least a year. At the conclusion of our first year membership, we'll together evaluate its merits and determine whether or not to continue with our memberships. Were excited about this chance to show how Bay - friendly we can be. We hope that you are, too. We encourage you to contact the GRA through its local representative, Stephanie Barger at Earth Resources Foundation. Stephanie can be reached at 949 -645 -5163. Sincerely, GAROLD B. ADAMS Mayor of Newport Beach Attachments: GRA Information Ocean Begins at Your Front Door NBMC Chapter 14.36 TOM WILSON Supervisor, 5th District cc: Members of the Newport Beach City Council Homer Bludau, City Manager Vicki Wilson, Director of CC Public Facilities and Resources Department S May -14 -01 01:58P Triaxis Corp AT]rtux.s (c K g Is P -02 Green Restaurant Association" �> Agreement The Green Restaurant Association"' exists to help the hospitality industry conveniently minimize its environmental impact in an economically successful manner. By signing this contract. you are accepting this invitation to become a member of the Green Restaurant Association and a certified Green Restaunutt" ". Being a certified Green Restaurant' means your restaurant makes a comnribncnt to proceeding through the following 12 steps: 1. Complete Styrofoam "' Elimination 7. Energy Lflicicucy 2. Comprehensive Recycling R. Water Efficiency 3. Using Ikon - Morino Bleached Parr 9. Safer Claucrs 4. Using High Post Consumer Waste Recycled Materials 10. Employee Education 5. Waste Reluction 11. Green Electricity G. Rcusc 12. Environmental Sitc Asscssmunt. After the constdtant purfomis an env irou mental situ assessment of your ruslaurant. thu two of you will plot a time- line for the first year ol'cnvironmental changes. The first four changes arc: 0 2. 4. Upon signing the cons ract. your restaurant is entitled to Consulting of the Bcnefit Scry ices. Once your restaurant has no more "Styrofoam" then your restaurant is entitled to Publicity of the ]3cnufit surviccs. Once the "Styrofoam" is pone. tuc restaurant will not purchase. use. or have slored any "Styrofoam" in the restaurant. Pricing Options 1 Year 3 Years F1 Lifetime Steward El 5950 S" per year $60() per year Receive ncnefit Scriccs on Back Receive Benefit Services on Back Receive Bcucfh Services on Back Advertisement in each Green Resmurtmt Advertisement in each Green Resuuemt Advertisement in each Green Resawant Guide and liccnsiug of (iRA Norm and Guide and licensing of GRA name and Guidcand liccnsing of GRA name and logo Ingo !n use on ynurmenu, advertising, and logo to use on your menu, advertising, to use on your menu, advertising. and merchandising and merchandising mcchandising Wcb Link Web link " Web Banner Web Link - Web Banner - Wetime Dernar- calion in ads and Green Restaurm t Guide uE,m w."scuna :um lVIIujUuMOf Un5 ago Resmumnt Name as you'd like it listed Owner /Manager's Signature of Agreement (jRA Ditcctors Signature of Agreement Date Street City, Starc, Zip MIOne Contact Term: _!_ /_through_I_I_ Starting Iiate..... .....RenCN'al Date 1,01y) ZSS -000L) • graCa-Pidinegreen.eom • www.diiiegreen.com ®3660 Ruffin Rd., Suite L "San Diego, CA "92123 Primed un 100% f bst C.:onsumcr Waste Recycled, Non - bleached NjXr Urangc counts (7clpmr: ao lamb Resource Fowtdation • 949-645 - 5163 . 2 �0 J :. 1 7n, St 11201, Cqd " Meta.1::2 Benefit Services rr ■m rrr irr ■r■r■ W Wm ■ ■ ■ ■ WN ■ r WK" W" W% Eco- Consulting • Yearlong Environmental Consultation: ■ ■ On -:ite or virucd encirunmental site assessment. Direct connection to anyencirunmenlnlinformation r ■ and the latest in products, services. and new laws. • Employee Education: sEmploycc handouts educating them on basic environmental issues, NN hich will help) our crivironmental ■ pro; ram be murc successful. Happier. appreciative employees provide fur better business. ■ e Supplier Connection Service: ■ GRA helps you work with vendors to provide you with the most probressivc products in the industry. ■ sGRA works with manufacturers to bring more progressive products to the marketplace - - -- " Signs: Receive a "Certified Green Restaurant" sign to hang in your window-. Also receive colorful Eco- ■ (:ardsT`i. tt hich show customers how many lrces Green RcslauranlsT" arc saving. along with other ■ necohiLical s:tvincs. Green Restaurants can also ase the GRA logo in their menus and advertising. s Listing in the Green Restaurant Guide: The Guide is published in the Greets Connuner News, distrihuted to Grccn Restaurants. universities, ■ sulxrm:rckcis, various progressive community gioups.:ind Green Consumer Union members. Each ■ ssue has an updated list of certified Green RestaumntsT ", along with :uticle.s educating the public of ■ the em itonmenCd benel'it of choosing to patronize Green Rcstaur ntsT". • Listing on the Green Restaurant Referral Service: ■ Customers from :wound the country call to ask which iestaurawN are Green in their urea. We then ■ ■ ■ suggest a lcty or refer them to our Green Restaurant Guides on the web or in paper. ■ ■ • Listing on www.DINEGREEN.com ■ Updated Listing on the web and educational information included. Sown we'll have menus and more ■ detailed into about resuturants available- Media Exposure: Green Restaurants" have been featured on CNN. ICPBS radio, the front page of the .Watt Diego Union ■ Tribune. ABC. CBS. and various other media. ■ I3on�s_ • Co -Op Purchasing We are developing a program for member restaurants to enjoy the purchasing; power of a larbe group. ■ All Benefits apply to I Intel Aso. Some benefits arc dill'crent outside of Calititi uia. 7 £O'd d,AOO SLXE«1 d6S =10 TO— VT—XVW