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Belmont extends compost pilot five months and approves budget amendment
Summary
The Belmont City Council voted 3-1 to extend a six-month DEQ-funded compost pilot for five months and authorized a follow-up budget amendment to cover $96,785 in costs while staff explores longer-term options and vendor alternatives.
Belmont City Council voted to extend a six-month compost pilot program through the end of the city's fiscal year and to pursue a subsequent budget amendment to fund the extension.
The Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) recommended continuing the Department of Environmental Quality-funded pilot, which ran Feb. 1, 2024'025 and used five drop-off sites. ESB member Maria Fortone told the council the pilot enrolled about 200 households and the program diverted roughly 12,000 pounds of food waste during the grant period. Fortone said survey responses were strongly positive, with roughly 98% of respondents rating the experience 4 or 5 out of 5.
Why it matters: Staff said the pilot demonstrated local demand and low per-household costs in the short term, but the council also pressed for answers about vendor options, participant growth, and whether a fee model or another vendor would give the city better long-term value.
Fortone described the program's reported per-month cost after vendor discounts: "CrownTown told us that it would be about $1,800 a month. But now that they have experience with us, it reduced that figure to $13.57 a month," she said. Public Works Director Jonathan Bolton and ESB members noted limited advertising and outreach as constraints on participation.
Council action: Councilmember Alex moved to extend the pilot for five months with a subsequent budget amendment to cover the cost of $96,785; Jason seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-1.
What comes next: Council asked staff to (1) evaluate other vendors, including Earth Farms Organics, (2) consider how the service would fit into the city's next solid-waste contract, (3) return with cost scenarios for a fee-based model versus continued subsidy, and (4) pursue any additional grant opportunities. Staff expects to use the five-month window for outreach and to return with specific proposals during the budget process.
The vote: Motion passed 3-1. The council did not read an itemized roll call in the record.
