Proposal:

Amend Contract with Sierra Cybernetics to Enhance the Facility Permits Processing System

Synopsis:

At its June 1996 meeting, the Board awarded a contract to Sierra Cybernetics to Enhance the Facility Permits Processing System. This contract is a two-phase project including design work (Phase I) and building and implementation (Phase II). Funds were included in the FY 1995-96 budget to complete Phase I and start Phase II. This action is to extend the contract term to allow work to continue on Phase II and increase funding at a cost of $150,000. The additional funds have been included in the FY 1996-97 budget.

Committee:

Administrative, March 21, 1997, Recommended for Approval

Recommended Action:

Authorize the Chairman to execute an amendment to Contract #96168 with Sierra Cybernetics in an amount not to exceed $150,000 and extend the contract term to March 31, 1998.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

The provisions of RECLAIM specify that, for each facility subject to the program, the individual Permits to Operate and Permits to Construct be consolidated into a single facility-based permit. A facility permit database and user interface were developed to support this effort. This system allows data entry of detailed equipment information, which historically exists in hard copy, into the facility permit database. Approximately 400 facility permits were generated using this system in the first year of RECLAIM. However, this initial system was not designed to provide facility permit processing over the long term (for example, neither Title V permits nor all permit processing steps are included).

At its June 14, 1996 meeting, the Board authorized the award of a contract for $400,000 from the FY 1995-96 Budget for the Facility Permit Processing System (FPPS). FPPS is intended to streamline and improve facility permit data entry and add necessary permit processing functionality. The contracted work effort was divided into two phases: design (Phase I) and construction and implementation (Phase II).

The enhanced FPPS consists of several distinct system modules. As a result, the contractor is using a parallel iterative design approach to develop the FPPS. With this approach, as the design of each program module is completed and approved by the AQMD, the Phase II construction and implementation can begin for that module. The parallel iterative design approach allows each module to be developed on an independent schedule, allowing more rapid development of the overall system.

Because quantification of the effort required for Phase II was dependent on the final design developed in Phase I, only Phase I was rigorously costed out in the proposal. Development of costs for Phase II are included as a task in the Phase I work statement. So that the system development can proceed in a timely manner, as Phase I is completed for each module, AQMD will authorize the contractor to start Phase II.

Proposal

This action is to amend the contract with Sierra Cybernetics to extend the contract term to March 31, 1998 and increase the contract by $150,000, for a total contract amount of $550,000. This will allow AQMD to authorize Phase II effort on several critical modules during the second year of this two-year contract. Phase I of the contract has resulted in the identification of 15 tasks. Phase II will result in the completion of seven to ten of those tasks under the current contract. Based on the best information and estimates available at this time, staff expects the overall project cost to be approximately $1,000,000 over the four-year project period ($550,000 allocated to the current contract and $450,000 required to complete the project). Contract services for all subsequent effort on this multi-year project will be procured through a competitive bid process. Completion of these automation enhancements will streamline and standardize the engineering permit processing effort, allowing the AQMD to issue timely permits with downsized staffing, despite the increasing permit application workload presented by the federal Title III-Toxics and Title V-Operating Permit programs, as well as the area’s enhanced economic outlook.

Resource Impacts

Sufficient funding is available in the FY 1996-97 Budget.

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