Lawndale council approves $100,000 recycling‑compliance subscription, patrol contract amendment and CDBG services; cancels two summer meetings

The Lawndale City Council on the evening considered staff reports and approved a series of administrative contracts and calendar changes, including a five‑year subscription to Smart 1383 for SB 1383 compliance, a first amendment to a security services contract, and continued contract administration for federal CDBG funds.

Staff presented the Smart 1383 recommendation as a tool to centralize recordkeeping required by California’s SB 1383, which mandates city tracking of organics recycling, edible‑food recovery, contamination monitoring and annual reporting to CalRecycle. Grace Weezor, Public Works, said the city currently receives monthly reports from its hauler, Republic Services, but lacks direct database access and that a city‑controlled system would improve audit readiness and trend analysis. Staff said the $20,000 per year, five‑year subscription (total $100,000) will be fully funded from AB 939 solid‑waste funds and will not impact the general fund.

Council members pressed staff on whether access to the hauler’s database could be required in future contracts with Republic Services. Grace Weezor said access is not currently contractually required and that establishing a city database would reduce reliance on the hauler’s monthly reports. After discussion, Councilwoman Torres moved to approve the Smart 1383 subscription; the motion, seconded by Pat Kearney, passed 3–1 (Councilmember Talavera voting no; Mayor Pro Tem Cuevas absent).

On public‑safety contracting, staff presented a first amendment to the contract with Southwest Patrol to reflect a modest hourly rate increase (from $55 to $57.50 per hour). Staff said Southwest Patrol performs homeless outreach, vending patrols and supplemental security and that the city’s proposed civilian public‑safety officer position would focus on report taking while potentially expanding later. The council approved the amendment with three yes votes and one no (Councilmember Bernal Suarez voted no).

The council also approved a professional services agreement with Michael Baker International to provide Community Development Block Grant administration and labor‑compliance services for the 2026–2027 fiscal year; staff said the contract continues prior arrangements to ensure timely grant administration. That contract was approved unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Consent calendar (items 2–9): Mover Pat Kearney; second Frank Talavera. Vote: unanimous approval (4–0; Cuevas absent). Outcome: approved.

- Item 10 (cancel July 6 and Sept. 7 meetings): Mover Pat Kearney; second Frank Talavera. Vote: unanimous approval (4–0; Cuevas absent). Outcome: meetings canceled.

- Item 11 (Smart 1383 subscription, $100,000 from AB 939 funds): Mover Councilwoman Torres; second Pat Kearney. Vote: 3–1 (Talavera no; Cuevas absent). Outcome: approved.

- Item 12 (first amendment to Southwest Patrol contract — hourly rate increase to $57.50): Mover (staff motion recorded); seconded. Vote: 3–1 (Bernal Suarez no; one absent). Outcome: approved.

- Item 13 (Michael Baker International, CDBG administration): Mover Pat Kearney; seconded. Vote: unanimous approval. Outcome: approved.

Why it matters

The Smart 1383 purchase is intended to ensure Lawndale can document and demonstrate SB 1383 compliance during state audits; staff emphasized that incomplete or inconsistent records can trigger enforcement or penalties by CalRecycle. The Southwest Patrol amendment maintains supplemental outreach and security as the city pilots a civilian public‑safety officer position. The Michael Baker contract keeps professional support for federal CDBG program obligations.

What’s next

Staff will proceed with the Smart 1383 implementation; council discussion flagged the possibility of adding data‑access requirements to future hauler contracts. The council will move forward with the amended Southwest Patrol agreement and the Michael Baker contract under the terms approved.