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Twentynine Palms approves state grant-funded refrigeration for three local food-recovery groups
Summary
The City Council approved acceptance of a state recycling/local assistance grant and an MOU to place city‑owned refrigeration units at three local food-recovery organizations, aiming to expand storage for perishable surplus food and support SB 1383 compliance.
The Twentynine Palms City Council voted unanimously to accept state grant funds and sign a memorandum of understanding enabling the city to purchase and place refrigeration and freezer units with three local food-recovery organizations.
City staff told the council the grant aims to help the city comply with SB 1383 requirements to reduce organic waste. A staff representative said the equipment would remain city property but be located at local nonprofits: Project 29 (CLEP) operating out of Sanctuary Church; the 29 Palms Community Food Pantry at First Assembly of God Church; and Reach Out Morongo Basin at the 29 Palms Senior Center. "This would really help you in your compliance with 13 83 and really help get food that would potentially otherwise go bad into the hands of organizations that can distribute [it]," staff said during the presentation.
Representatives of the recipient organizations told council members the units are needed now. Robin Schlosser of Reach Out Morongo Basin said the group collects large donations from schools and restaurants and distributes an average of about 14,000 pounds of food a month to seniors; without freezer space they sometimes must decline donations. "These refrigeration units and these freezer units are gonna be absolutely lifesaving for us to be able to store items," Schlosser said. A Hope Project representative, Melvin Bridal, told the council his group serves roughly 1,300–1,400 families monthly and described storage constraints that limit distribution.
Councilmember Wright moved to approve the grant expenditure and MOU; Councilmember Ramirez seconded. The council recorded a 5-0 vote to approve the item.
According to staff, the refrigeration approach will allow rapid transfer of perishable surplus (for example, from school districts and grocery outlets) to the listed nonprofits, enabling freezing or cold storage so food can be distributed to food‑insecure residents. The staff presentation also noted that city staff worked with the Desert Mountain Joint Powers Authority and the state to secure the funding and refine eligible uses.
Next steps: staff will finalize grant paperwork and proceed with procurement and placement of equipment at the three named organizations under the terms described in the agenda item. The council did not specify a firm installation schedule during the meeting.
