Report:

Public Advisor’s Report

Synopsis:

This report highlights the Public Advisor, Local Government, Small Business Assistance and Economic Development activities for the month of December, 1996. Comprehensive reports on these efforts are set forth below in Sections I, II, III and IV, respectively.

Committee:

Not applicable.

Recommended Action:

Receive and file this report.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

SECTION I - PUBLIC ADVISOR ACTIVITIES

Staff participated in the activities, programs and events listed below. A statistical report of these activities also is included.

Contact: La Ronda V. Bowen, Public Advisor, 909.396.3235

BUSINESS OUTREACH

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOPS (Rule 1171- Solvent Cleaning)

AQMD staff met with representatives of sanitation districts and the Department of Toxic Substances Control to discuss coordination of the outreach effort for Rule 1171. The goal was to create a unified program so that auto shop owners complying with the air regulations do not cause water pollution problems by improperly disposing of the water-based solvents used in auto parts washing tanks.

AQMD staff sent invitations to the 13 local chapters of the Automotive Service Councils of California asking for opportunities to speak at their monthly meetings. The goal is to obtain input from automotive repair shop owners on the best way to inform this area’s more than 10,000 auto repair shops of the revision to Rule 1171 that requires the switch from petroleum solvents to water-based solvents for automotive parts washing tanks.

The AQMD arranged to participate in two information expo’s to be conducted by the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) at Riverside Community College and Long Beach City College. These two events are expected to attract approximately 1,200 auto shop owners interested in becoming certified as Smog Check II test sites. The Public Advisor will set up an information booth at which information on the new Rule 1171 requirements will be distributed.

CO-SPONSORSHIP OF ARB AIR QUALITY STAKEHOLDERS FORUM

As an interagency cooperative effort, AQMD staff co-sponsored the Air Resources Board’s "Stakeholders Forum Follow-up Meeting" on the future direction of air pollution control. More than 100 business leaders and environmental organizations who had participated in the earlier round of ARB’s Air Quality Visioning Forums were invited to attend this meeting. They received feed-back on the comments and concerns that were expressed by them and other air quality stakeholders from throughout California.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

CAPCOA PUBLIC OUTREACH MEETING

AQMD staff participated in a statewide meeting of public information officials from all the major air districts to exchange information on outreach programs. The meeting of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) included a briefing by the Bureau of Automotive Repair on the status of the Smog Check II program. At this meeting, AQMD staff arranged to participate in several BAR outreach events directed toward automotive repair shops.

CLEAN AIR AWARDS

This year’s Clean Air Awards will be conducted in conjunction with the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Air Pollution Reduction. Nomination forms have been printed (37,000) including those inserted in the January issue of the Advisor. Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on February 28, 1997.

VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

In November, AQMD staff initiated an agreement with the Los Angeles County Library System to donate 75 copies of the AQMD’s Spanish language videos "Que Estamos Haciendo Para Resolver El Problema De La Contamination" ("What Were Doing About Smog"), to nearly all of the branches of the county system. The videos which were mailed out that same month, will be loaned out free of charge to library patrons.

SCHOOL EPISODE (Reg. VII) OUTREACH PLANNING

AQMD staff gave a presentation to the School Outreach committee of the Ethnic Community Advisory Council to discuss outreach strategies for informing schools of their responsibilities during smog episodes.

VISITING DIGNITARIES

A delegation from Ulsan University in Korea met December 13 with Planning and Applied Science and Technology staff members about regional and point-source modeling and ambient air monitoring

PUBLIC ADVISOR’S MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT 1996
Business Outreach	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	TOTAL
Business Meetings	8	7	3	16	9	7	12	16	6	13	10	6	113
Speakers Bureau	0	1	2	2	7	1	1	0	6	2	2	2	26
Events/Conferences	1	2	5	2	1	3	1	0	5	1	1	0	22
Chamber Meetings	0	1	0	0	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	5
Fee Review Requests	15	0	11	0	6	7	7	7	7	5	3	8	76
Customer Surveys	28	26	40	86	28	88	87	16	31	34	23	22	509
Public Workshops	2	5	10	3	3	2	4	6	10	13	1	3	62
Public Notices	4	8	8	3	4	4	6	7	8	8	8	1	69
Public Education
Community Meetings	5	7	7	2	3	4	7	5	3	2	5	8	58
Speakers Bureau	2	10	1	18	8	3	4	1	5	6	2	2	62
Events/Conferences	4	2	4	35	1	5	2	33	6	2	0	1	95
Reg. VII Presentations	4	4	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	12
Dignitaries Hosted	3	4	5	4	2	4	5	4	5	5	3	1	45
District Tours	2	1	2	2	3	2	2	1	2	2	3	2	24
Public Info. Center:
Materials Requested	640	589	532	395	344	315	399	569	465	460	456	303	5,467
Total Calls*	33806	28972	28627	34114	40628	30922**	53280	55607	24705	35431	23,638	20,095	409,825
Avg. Calls Per Day	1090	999	923	1137	1310	1031	1719	1794	823	1143	787	648	1,120

*The AQMD uses an automated phone system that provides callers with self-service access to information on meetings, workshops, air quality readings and forecasts by simply entering their zip codes. Callers can also request rules or publications, obtain updates on AQMD programs or speak to a public information representative (during regular business hours) for answers to detailed questions. The system is operational 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.

**Data for total calls during the month of June is incomplete because of a computer malfunction June 6-24.

SECTION II - LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES

Highlights of the activities of this reporting period are listed below.

Contact: Larry Rhinehart, Intergovernmental Affairs Director, 909.396.2898

or Oscar Abarca, Intergovernmental Affairs Director, 909.396.3242.

LEGISLATIVE OUTREACH

Intergovernmental Affairs Directors met or had contact with the following legislators and/or their staffs regarding air quality related issues:

• State Senator Tom Hayden - 12/18
• Assembly Member Joe Baca (Jesse Vasquez, Field Representative) - 12/11

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OUTREACH

Intergovernmental Affairs Directors made presentations on AQMD programs to the following city councils, and attended/participated in meetings with the following governmental organizations:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - WESTERN REGION

No activity during this reporting period

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - EASTERN REGION

• Vernon City Council

ORANGE COUNTY

• Newport Beach City Council
• Orange County Board of Supervisors
• Orange County Council of Governments
• Seal Beach City Council
• Yorba Linda City Council

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

• Banning City Council
• Palm Desert City Council
• Palm Springs City Council Meeting
• Riverside County Board of Supervisors
• Riverside County Transportation Commission Meeting

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

• Rialto City Council
• San Bernardino Associated Governments Board and Committee Meetings

OTHER

• Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• Los Angeles Division League of Cities
• MTA Governing Board Meeting
• SCAG Regional Council & Committee Meetings

As a result of their interaction with the organizations listed above, the Intergovernmental Affairs Directors communicated with the following officials by phone or in person:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - WESTERN REGION

• Richard Alarcon, Council Member, City of Los Angeles
• Kim Fuentes, City of Torrance

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - EASTERN REGION

• Eileen Ansari, Council Member, City of Diamond Bar
• Margaret Clarch, Mayor, City of Rosemead
• Carol Herrera, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Diamond Bar
• Amy Ho, Planner, City of Monterey Park
• Tom Jackson, Mayor, City of Huntington Park
• Debra Jackson, Planner, City of Lynwood
• Bruce Malkerhost, City Manager, City of Vernon
• Pat Miranda, Council Member, City of Irwindale
• Mike Murphy, City of Santa Clarita
• Jenny Oropeza, Council Member, City of Long Beach Dolores Sanchez, City of Bell
• Judy Wright, Council Member, City of Claremont
• Larry Zarian, Council Member, City of Glendale

ORANGE COUNTY

• Richard Barnard, Assistant City Manager, City of Huntington Beach
• Ron Bates, Council Member, City of Los Alamitos
• Melinda Bell, City of Irvine
• Art Brown, Mayor, City of Buena Park
• George Brown, Council Member, City of Seal Beach
• John Cox, Council Member, City of Newport Beach
• Tom Daly, Mayor, City of Anaheim
• Jan Debay, Mayor, City of Newport Beach
• Richard Dixon, Mayor, City of Lake Forest
• John Harris, City of Irvine
• Polin Modanlou, Chief - Analysis Studies Transportation Planning, County of Orange
• Kevin Murphy, City Manager, City of Newport Beach
• Bev Perry, Council Member, City of Brea
• Joel Rosen, Chairman, OCCOG-TAC
• Brian Smith Assistant to the City Manager, City of Huntington Beach
• Chuck Smith, Supervisor-Elect, 1st District, Orange County Board of Supervisors
• Todd Spitzer, Supervisor-Elect, 3rd District, Orange County Board of Supervisors
• Mike Spurgeon, Council Member, City of Orange
• Keith Till, City Manager, City of Seal Beach
• Lee Whittenberg, Community Services Director, City of Seal Beach
• Tom Wilson, Supervisor, 5th District, Orange County Board of Supervisors

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

• Buford Crites, Council Member, City of Palm Desert
• Tim Hults, City of San Jacinto
• John Hunt, Mayor, City of Banning
• Richard Kelly, Council Member, City of Palm Desert
• Will Kleindienst, Mayor, City of Palm Springs
• Dave Weitzel, City Manager, City of Banning
• Roosevelt Williams, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Banning

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

• Bill Alexander, Mayor, City of Rancho Cucamonga
• Ray Farmer, Council Member, City of Rialto
• Swen Larson, Mayor, City of Redlands
• John Longville, Mayor, City of Rialto
• Tom Minor, Mayor, City of San Bernardino
• Bob Nolan, Mayor, City of Upland
• Joe Sampson, Council Member, City of Rialto
• Ed Scott, Council Member, City of Rialto
• Jim Singley, Council Member, City of Grand Terrace
• Gus Skropos, Mayor, City of Ontario
• Larry Walker, Supervisor, 4th District, County of San Bernardino
• Midge Zupanic-Skaggs, Council Member, City of Rialto

OTHER

Intergovernmental Affairs Directors also met or had contact with the following local and state agency, business and community representatives regarding air quality related issues:

• Rick Bishop, Orange County Division, League of California Cities
• Michael Coluntuono, City Attorney, City of La Habra Heights and Agency Council for Big Bear City Community Services District
• Kerry Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director, SANBAG
• Cliff Gladstein Consultant
• Henry Gonzales, Government Affairs, MTA
• Eric Haley, Director of Government Relations, SANBAG
• Darryl Halls, Orange County Division, League of California Cities
• Tom Jones, Security & Safety, Cal State University - Fullerton
• Tom Mays, Former Assembly Member and Huntington Beach Mayor
• Ty Schuiling, Director of Comprehensive Planning, SANBAG
• Ruthanne Taylor-Berger, Director of Air Quality Programs, Western Riverside Council of Governments
• David Turch, David Turch & Associates, Washington, D.C.
• A. J. Wilson, Executive Director, Western Riverside Council of Governments

The Intergovernmental Affairs Directors continued to provide administrative oversight for the AB 2766 Discretionary Fund and Subvention Fund programs. The IGA Directors also attended/ participated in the following activities:

• AQMD Administrative Committee
• AQMD Governing Board Meeting
• AQMD Legislative Committee
• Ballot Initiative Affect on Cities Forum
• Board Member Briefing on Public Advisors Office
• California Contract Cities Legislative Reception/Dinner
• Inland Empire Economic Forecast Breakfast - Cal State San Bernardino
• Orange County Public Affairs Association Holiday Reception
• Orange County Public Affairs Association Luncheon
• SANBAG/RCTC Joint Reception for California Transportation Commission Members

SECTION III - SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES

Highlights of the activities for December are described below. The statistical report of all staff activities is also included.

Contact Lee Lockie, Director, 909.396.2390

Automation of Forms

The Small Business Assistance Office (SBAO) is continuing to work with Information Management (I/M) programming staff in an effort to automate most of our most commonly used forms. Our objective is to facilitate the receipt and handling of business inquiries and requests for our services. SBAO staff is now in the process of debugging the new technical assistance request form recently developed by I/M.

Staff Training in Pollution Prevention

Technical consultations performed over the telephone or at business field sites will include an assessment of pollution prevention options. This is designed to inform businesses of alternative ways of reducing air pollutant emissions.

In this vein, solvent cleaning operations have been selected for emphasis in the first quarter of 1997, and staff will be using a consultant to provide in-house training on pollution prevention strategies for affected businesses.

City of Torrance

In response to a request from the City of Torrance, staff has been meeting with the City Manager’s office to establish an air quality permit counter in their Building and Safety Department. AQMD and the city have agreed that an SBAO staff person will be available at the counter on a regular schedule of two days per month. The city will provide office space and a computer with modem access to Diamond Bar. They are also planning a promotional campaign to inform businesses in all of the neighboring cities in the South Bay area about the AQMD’s new on-site permit assistance. As with the other Permit Assistance Centers in the Basin, staff will be developing a Marketing Plan for this center in cooperation with the Public Advisor’s Intergovernmental Affairs Program.

Air Quality Assistance Fund

SBAO staff has been highlighting the AQAF (loan guaranty) Program to the customers at the Permit Assistance Centers. They will continue to work with the local planning departments to make them more aware of the availability of this financial assistance to businesses planning to purchase air pollution control equipment.

The new avenues instituted this year for informing businesses of this program have resulted in a noticeable increase in the number of business inquiries and loan guaranty applications. For example, SBAO staff mailed out AQAF information packages to the 190 Certified Permitting Professionals in December and are now receiving feedback from this mailing. It is hoped that these consultants will regularly inform their clients of the Loan Guaranty Program.

A loan guaranty in the amount of $42,000 was approved to assist a company in upgrading its dust collection system and installing baghouses and control panels.

Permit Checklists

In an effort to reduce delays in obtaining occupancy permits at the City of Los Angeles, the Building and Safety Department has listed the AQMD on their newly published clearance checklist. This means that a business will receive an early warning from the city that it needs to submit all required air permit applications, and obtain an AQMD verification of their submittal, prior to receiving the city permit. This can also be done electronically.

Memoranda Of Understanding

In 1992 and 1993, when the Permit Assistance Centers were first established throughout the Basin, AQMD negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cal EPA, the Gas Company and two cities that requested this cooperative permitting assistance. All of these agreements have expired. SBAO staff has proposed a new, standard agreement to replace all of the individual MOUs. Staff is working with the affected parties to set these new agreements in place.

Permit Assistance Center Marketing Plan Implementation: City of Anaheim Economic Development Committee Meeting

SBAO staff gave a presentation on Dec. 11, 1996, to representatives of the Fire Department, Building and Safety Department, and the Chamber of Commerce for the City of Anaheim. Staff discussed checklists and clearance letters. Staff also described what type of equipment needs permits, and asked the representatives from these agencies to encourage new businesses to contact the AQMD prior to setting up their businesses to ensure they have the proper permits. City officials expressed interest in, and gave positive feedback to, AQMD actions to exempt many small businesses from the permitting system. This support will fuel future cooperation between the city and the AQMD in our effort to prevent delays in permitting.

Rule 1171 Outreach

Staff worked with James A. Mertens, Vice President of Development at Dow Chemical, to prepare helpful compliance and information packages for distribution to area representatives who work with businesses that use solvent in their clean up operations.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE OFFICE ACTIVITY

These totals are not cumulative. This graph is designed to show the general types of assistance provided.

Definitions

Rule Interpretations - assistance in interpreting whether permits are necessary and/or whether a business is operating in compliance with AQMD rules.

Permit Applications - assistance in completing permit applications and calculating fees.

Clearance Letters - state law prohibits Building Departments from issuing a final certificate of occupancy unless all requirements of the local air quality agency are met.

On-site Consultations - technical consultation provided at one’s place of business.

Financial Assistance - screening businesses planning to purchase air pollution control equipment to determine eligibility for loan guaranties.

New Business Roundtables - attending multi-agency meetings with new or expanding businesses.

Outreach activities - participating in meetings/conferences on small business concerns (includes Chambers of Commerce, local governments, technical seminars). This includes assisting businesses to become involved in rule development.

Bilingual Assistance - providing all or part of our services in languages other than English.

SECTION IV -

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS RETENTION (EDBR) ACTIVITIES

Highlights of the activities conducted during this reporting period are described below.

Contact: La Ronda Bowen, Public Advisor, 909.396.3235

Larry Watkins, EDBR, 909.396.3246

Roberta Rigg, EDBR, 909.396.2659.

For the fourth year in a row, the AQMD has gone quietly about it’s business of improving the southland’s air quality while ushering over 2,000 new companies into the permit system and helping hundreds more to expand, locate or re-locate within the Basin. Economic Development/Business Retention (EDBR) staff are working with trade and commerce agency’s Red Team and has helped these businesses invest hundreds of dollars in the California economy.

Last year, staff was directly responsible for the creation and/or retention of over 7,000 jobs. These jobs were primarily associated with the furniture, aerospace, petroleum, food and printing industries. Our success was accomplished by providing information to thousands of businesses, in plain English, on how easy it is to meet clean air goals with pollution prevention techniques and cost effective clean air technologies. Sometimes this information was provided through Red Team meetings, presentations to groups, or through the approximately 4,000 phone calls received by EDBR staff last year. In all cases, those companies seeking help from EDBR in the form of technical or permitting assistance were ushered through the system until the paperwork was completed and the permit(s) issued.

By creating a framework of trust and mutual respect, EDBR staff acts as an advocate for the business community, taking their concerns regarding the rule making process, policy issues, or proposals that make sense from a public policy viewpoint and present them to the Executive Officer for consideration/action. But we don’t work alone. We team with many different concerned business entities and local agencies to focus resources and establish commitments that meet the time schedules of clients doing business in the Basin. In this way, we can ensure the economic vitality of the business community while protecting the health of the public.

One example of how EDBR would typically create/retain jobs and maintain the economic vitality of the Basin was a large bakery in Assembly Member Grace Napolitano’s District. The owners of the facility located in the southland were contemplating relocating the operation to a vacant facility located in central California. The motivation for the move was an estimated increase in annual profits of $2.3 million. The move would have essentially terminated employment for 900 local baking personnel and had a significant impact on the surrounding community . A Governor’s Red Team was created to retain this important facility and the associated jobs including: EDBR staff, representatives from Assembly Member Grace Napolitano’s office, Economic Development Corporation of Los Angeles County, City of Montebello, Southern California Edison, The Gas Company, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, State of California Trade and Commerce Agency, California Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC), organized labor, management and EDBR staff.

An action plan was developed to mitigate the annual operating cost differential between the local plant and the central California plant. It was discovered that the local plant used inefficient equipment and operating practices. It was determined that the services of CMTC should be retained to perform a study thoroughly analyzing the equipment, processes and practices used by the bakery and to make recommendations to improve efficiency and cost savings. The cost of the CMTC study was estimated to be $20,000 of which $15,000 was cost-shared by the District.

The City of Montebello and the facility cost-shared the remainder of the study. The study’s results determined that for a one-time expenditure of approximately $650,000, the bakery could conservatively save $420,000 annually. As a result, the bakery owners have decided to remain in southern California.