City of Bellevue adopts Ordinance No. 6844 adding BCC 4.28.165 (Compost Procurement) with compost-use, procurement preference, outreach, and annual reporting requirements

City of Bellevue Ordinance No. 6844 adds a new section to Chapter 4.28 of the Bellevue City Code: BCC 4.28.165 “Compost Procurement.” The ordinance requires City departments to consider compost products before planning City-funded projects or soliciting bids and, when compost can be utilized, to use (or require contractors to use) compost unless specified exceptions apply (e.g., availability, standards, health/quality/safety, or unreasonable/noncompetitive pricing). It establishes priority purchasing criteria (e.g., locally produced compost, nationally recognized certification such as USCC, and compost derived from municipal solid waste programs meeting WSDOT/Ecology quality standards), directs public education/outreach by the City Manager/designee, and requires an annual report to the Washington Department of Ecology. The ordinance text specifies reporting is due by March 31, 2025 and each March 31 thereafter, covering prior-year diversion tonnage and processing facilities, compost volume/cost purchased, and sources. The ordinance states it becomes effective 30 days after passage and legal publication, but the passage/publication dates are not provided in the extracted research text, so specific effective/implementation dates are not captured.