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BACKGROUND <br /> As part of the settlement of litigation over the expansion of the Altamont Landfill, the <br /> parties to the litigation agreement (Alameda County, Waste Management of Alameda <br /> County, the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton, and various environmental groups) <br /> agreed that the County would impose a surcharge on incoming waste at the Altamont <br /> Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility and Vasco Road landfill. Each January, the fee <br /> is adjusted to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the most recent <br /> 12-month period. The portion of the fee that funds the Education Account is $0.34 cents <br /> per ton, which generates approximately $465,000 annually. <br /> The Altamont Settlement Agreement Education Advisory Board meets approximately <br /> once a month. The Education Advisory Board consists of five voting members including <br /> two members from the Northern California Recycling Association, one member from the <br /> City of Pleasanton, one member from the City of Livermore, and one member from the <br /> Alameda County Recycling Board. The Pleasanton representative is Tony Dennis, an <br /> engineering teacher at Amador Valley High School. <br /> The Education Advisory Board can propose the allocation of funds in the Education <br /> Account to support diversion education programs, job training in the field of waste <br /> diversion and recycling, and to mitigate the impacts of the Altamont Landfill on the <br /> affected neighboring community. The approximate balance in the Education Account <br /> held by Alameda County as of December 31, 2018 was $1 million. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> The Altamont Settlement Agreement requires the Education Advisory Board to submit a <br /> proposed allocation of funds on an annual basis by April 1. In accordance with the <br /> Altamont Settlement Agreement, concurrence by the Northern California Recycling <br /> Association (NCRA), the cities of Pleasanton and Livermore, and Alameda County is <br /> necessary to fund any proposed allocation from the Education Account. <br /> On November 29, 2018, the Education Advisory Board unanimously agreed to propose <br /> the 2019-20 Expenditure Plan to the authorizing entities. The attached expenditure plan <br /> outlines a process for funding mini-grants, annual competitive grants, multi-year grants, <br /> Alameda Landowners Against Mismanagement (ALARM) mitigation grants, and Board- <br /> initiated projects, setting funding goals for each grant category. For Fiscal year 2019-20, <br /> the Board is proposing to award a maximum of $100,000 in mini-grants, $325,000 in <br /> project grants, $50,000 for Board-initiated projects, $85,000 for multi-year grants, zero <br /> for landfill mitigation projects, $5,000 for Board communications/website, and $30,000 <br /> for financial management and administrative support to the City of Livermore. Additional <br /> grants may be awarded from unexpended funds allocated for previous fiscal years held <br /> in stewardship by the City of Livermore. <br /> Each year the Education Advisory Board will provide an Annual Report to the <br /> authorizing entities detailing the programs that were funded the previous year and the <br /> related success rates of each funded program. The Board will also present a new <br /> Page 2 of 3 <br />