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Council approves two‑year curbside compost pilot with Black Earth Compost
Summary
City accepted a grant‑supported contract with Black Earth Compost to create a two‑year curbside composting program for up to 1,500 households, including about 350 current subscribers as early adopters; funding includes a $475,000 grant and a $30,000 city CIP match.
The City Council authorized a service agreement with Black Earth Compost to support a two‑year residential curbside composting pilot that aims to enroll up to 1,500 households.
The package presented by staff shows a not‑to‑exceed contract of $499,220, funded primarily by a $475,000 grant from 11th Hour Racing plus a $30,000 match from the city's fiscal 2026 capital improvement plan. Director Theresa Crane (Department of Resilience and Sustainability) said the roughly 350 current Black Earth subscribers in Newport will be included as early adopters and may be offered the option to gift a subscription if they choose to remain paying subscribers. "All 350-ish current subscribers to Black Earth Compost in the city of Newport are going to be included in that 1,500 as early adopters," Crane said.
Why it matters: The pilot aims to expand organics diversion and reduce landfill waste at neighborhood scale; leveraging a large external grant reduces direct city cost. Councilors asked whether existing subscribers would be recruited and included; staff affirmed they would and said outreach would be coordinated as part of the implementation.
