Proposal:

Recognize and Appropriate Funds From US EPA to AQMD to be Used to Assist States in Developing Small Business Assistance Programs

Synopsis:

At the April 12, 1996 meeting, the Board approved a $25,000 supplement to the AQMD FY 1995-96 budget from a US EPA Peer Match Grant. The funds are to be used to assist states in developing small business assistance programs. Of this amount, $2,000 was expended in FY 1995-96 and $8,000 was expended in FY 1996-97. This action is to appropriate the remaining $15,000 to the FY 1997-98 budget.

Committee:

Administrative, June 20, 1997, Recommended for Approval.

Recommended Action:

Recognize $15,000 in revenue from the Environmental Protection Agency and appropriate $15,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Office of Public Affairs Services and Supplies Major Object in the following accounts: $10,000 Other Expenses; $2,000 Communications; and $3,000 Professional and Special Services.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

Background

In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instituted a Peer Match Program to assist states, territories and agencies in developing and implementing their small business assistance programs (SBAPs). EPA recognizes that the benefits achieved by Peer Match (mentoring) exceeded the costs. States and agencies which have participated in Peer Match have saved money by adopting, rather than recreating, elements of successful programs.

EPA selected the AQMD as a Peer Match recipient, based on its outstanding small business assistance program. Section 507 of the Federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, requires each state to have a SBAP. AQMD’s program was established in 1989 and has already served as a model for several states, including Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Louisiana. EPA’s guidelines for fund use include: development of training materials, payment of travel expenses for participants, and long distance telephone
expenses.

AQMD Responsibility

The Public Advisor’s Office will provide training materials and staff time and resources to conduct the Peer Match training. AQMD will also be available to assist Peer Match participants on an on-going basis and will provide on-site assistance when required. Each Peer Match participant will be asked to complete an evaluation of the assistance they received and a lessons learned summary will be prepared. AQMD will provide a written report on the program results to the Governing Board and to EPA by December 1998.

Benefits

Before there was a Peer Match Program, the AQMD and other agencies had to assume the full cost of sharing information and resources. Some states, territories and agencies have been slow to implement small business assistance programs because they lack the information and resources. When states share information, resources developed in one state can be used to enhance the programs in another state. Peer Match facilitates the opportunity for information and resource sharing by absorbing part of the cost associated with this process.

By working together, SBAP representatives have made significant progress in obtaining EPA policy interpretations that benefit small business owners/operators nationwide. For example, SBAPs obtained an enforcement policy guideline which made the information obtained from an on-site consultation by a SBAP confidential. This removes a significant barrier to compliance.

EPA, national trade associations, states, territories and agencies all have expressed their support for strong small business assistance programs nationwide. The parties anticipate that these programs will result in better air pollution control strategies, commonly acceptable clean industry standards, and more consistent information dissemination to equipment and product manufacturers.

Resource Impacts

At its April 12, 1996 meeting, AQMD Governing Board recognized a $25,000 Peer Match grant that the EPA awarded the AQMD, and approved the appropriation of the $25,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Public Advisor’s Services and Supplies Major Object budget in three accounts as follows: $20,000 to Travel, $2,000 to Communications and $3,000 to Business Outreach.

During FY 1995-96 EPA and AQMD implemented the Peer Match Program and expended $2,000. The remaining $23,000 of the EPA Peer Match $25,000 grant was carried over to the FY 1996-97 budget. During FY 1996-97 the Public Advisor’s Office conducted a two-day Peer Match training session. Representatives from California,
Arizona, Hawaii, Virgin Islands, Wyoming and the District of Columbia participated, requiring an expenditure of $8,000. This action carries over the remaining $15,000 to be budgeted in the following accounts: $10,000 in Other Expenses, to provide reimbursements to other agencies for their training related travel costs; $2,000 to Communications; and $3,000 to Professional and Special Services for Business Outreach.

This constitutes a supplement to the FY 1997-98 budget. Therefore, the required 30-day public notice of a proposed supplement to the FY 1997-98 budget was published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Bernardino Sun, Riverside Press Enterprise, Orange County Register and the Inland Valley Bulletin.

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