Report:

Administrative Committee

Synopsis:

The Administrative Committee met Friday, April 18, 1997, and reviewed the proposed agenda for the May 9, 1997 Board meeting. The Committee also discussed various issues detailed in the Committee report. The next Administrative Committee meeting is Friday, May 23, 1997, at 9:30 a.m., in Conference Room CC8.

Recommended Action:

Approve this report.

Jon D. Mikels, Chairman
Administrative Committee

Attendance:

Present were Jon Mikels and Committee Members Mee Hae Lee, Leonard Paulitz and Roy Wilson. Absent were Committee Members Michael Antonovich and Dr. William A. Burke. Also attending were Board Members Cody Cluff, Jim Silva, and Nell Soto. Board Member Norma Glover briefly attended, as well.

Administrative Committee Discussion Items:

Status of EPA’s Proposed Standards Regarding Ozone and PM2.5: Deputy Executive Officer of Planning, Transportation and Information Management Dr. Barry Wallerstein advised that there was no change in the status of the proposed standards for ozone and PM2.5 since his previous report to the Committee.

Contracting Process: Assistant Deputy Executive Officer of Technology Advancement Dr. Chung Liu provided a brief presentation on the contracting procedures used by the Technology Advancement office, in response a request by Mee Hae Lee at the April 11 Board Meeting. Dr. Liu’s presentation outlined the three methods by which the Technology Advancement office receives expressions of interest in securing AQMD funding: responses to RFPs, responses to "Program Opportunity Notices," and unsolicited, cost-share project proposals. Upon discussion of this item among the Committee it was suggested by Leonard Paulitz and Mee Hae Lee that an ad hoc Board committee be formed, comprised of Mee Hae Lee, Leonard Paulitz and Roy Wilson, to review sole-source contract justification criteria and consider modifications and guidelines. Chairman Mikels agreed to form said ad hoc Committee which will report its recommendations to the Governing Board after review by the Administrative Committee.

Approval of Compensation for Board Member Assistant(s): The Committee considered and recommended approval of the proposed compensation and contract for Supervisor Jim Silva’s Board Consultant, Nina Hull, in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Board Member assistance policy. Ms. Hull’s compensation was confirmed at $45.00 per hour as a Board Member Consultant (independent contractor status). Moved (Lee), seconded (Paulitz), and unanimously approved.

Proposed District Expenditure for Out-of-Country Travel: The Committee reviewed Executive Officer Dr. James Lents’ written report and request for approval with regard to proposed attendance of certain staff at the 90th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA), which is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from June 8-13, 1997. The District proposes to send five staff members to this Conference at District expense, as well as Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s Deputy, Peter Whittingham (accessing the Board Member assistance funds set aside for Supervisor Antonovich for FY 1996-97). The theme of this Conference is "Science and Technology: The International Language." The District will benefit from this proposed travel in that much of the discussion will focus on particle health effects, specifically, the differences in perspective both within and between the scientific community, and the regulatory and policy-making communities -- particularly pertinent issues as U.S. EPA considers new standards for ozone and PM. Further, staff attending will gain added insight on technical issues relating to PM modeling and monitoring, which will be invaluable as the District prepares for the upcoming PM SIP development. In addition, staff will participate in panels emphasizing small business assistance programs, RECLAIM and "Tradeable Air Emission Credits and the Case for a Market-Driven Model," pollution prevention, auditing & ISO 14001, and technology transfers. The staff proposed to attend are: James Lents, Executive Officer, Ms. La Ronda Bowen, Public Advisor , Ms. Pang Mueller, Sr. Manager/RECLAIM and Title V Administration, Ms. Sherri Fairbanks, Public Advisor/Small Business Assistance Staff Specialist and Dr. Bong-Mann Kim, Air Quality Specialist/Planning and Policy. Moved (Lee), seconded (Paulitz), and unanimously recommended for approval by the full Board at its May 9 meeting.

Staff Recommendations for May 9, 1997 Board Meeting

Recommended for Approval by the Administrative Committee:

1. Execute Contract to Acquire Automated Gas Chromatograph System: Unanimously approved (Lee/Paulitz).

2. Execute Contract to Acquire Meteorological Sensor Systems: Unanimously approved (Lee/Wilson).

3. Establish List of Prequalified Vendors to Provide Compressed Gases and Cryogenics: Unanimously approved (Lee/Paulitz).

4. Approve MOU with the San Bernardino Public Employees Association Regarding the Professional Bargaining Unit: Unanimously approved (Lee/Paulitz).

5. Approve Salary and Benefit Increases for Non-Contract Management and Confidential Employees and Attorneys: Unanimously approved (Lee/Wilson).

6. Execute Contracts to Purchase Hardware and Software Necessary to Implement Middleware Technology in Support of AQMD Applications: Unanimously approved (Paulitz/Lee).

7. Amend Contracts to Provide Short- and Long-Term Systems Development and Maintenance Support: Upon discussion of costing/budgeting issues relative to this multi-year, multiple contractor effort for systems development and maintenance support, and upon Mee Hae Lee’s emphasis that language indicating an estimate of the total cost of multi-year and/or multi-phase programs continue to be reflected in Board letters, this item was unanimously approved (Wilson/Paulitz).

8. Establish List of Prequalified Vendors for the Purchase of Personal Computer Hardware, Software, and Installation Services: Unanimously approved (Paulitz/Lee).

9. Issue RFP to Perform Data Analysis of PAMS Network Data and 1997 Southern California Ozone Study Field Measurement Data: Unanimously approved (Lee/Paulitz).

10. AQMD Funding Sources and Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Report to CARB for FY 1995-96: Intergovernmental Affairs Officer Oscar Abarca provided a brief report relative to the ongoing outreach efforts to the cities in an effort assist them in effectively using these funds and properly designating the funds as earmarked for use in future years. Thus, Mr. Abarca expected there would be a significant drawdown of the unallocated balances reflected in the draft report by the time it is reviewed by the Mobile Source Committee at its April 25 meeting, with additional drawdown anticipated by time the draft report is submitted to the Governing Board at its May 9 meeting. Upon discussion of these issues by the Committee members, this item was moved, seconded, and unanimously approved.

11. Amend Regulation III - Fees: Several Committee members inquired about a proposed new stationary source technology advancement fee. Mr. Curt Coleman, representing California Manufacturers Alliance Air Quality Association and the California Aerospace Environmental Association, raised questions as to whether the District has authority to enact a research and development fee and indicated that his members would prefer to see any revenue generated from new stationary source fees spent on permitting. Deputy Executive Officer of Stationary Source Compliance Pat Leyden withdrew this proposed fee from the Regulation III rule package for further evaluation. Acknowledging the deferral of that portion of Regulation III, this item was unanimously approved (Lee/Paulitz).

12. Adopt Executive Officer’s FY 1997-98 AQMD Budget and Work Program: The Committee received a summary of key issues from Director of Finance Rick Pearce, whereupon it was determined that no action would be taken by the Committee pending the April 25 Governing Board Budget Workshop.

13. Approve Compensation Package for Designated Deputies: In the absence of the Executive Officer, Chairman Mikels reviewed for the Committee the proposed salary range for the new Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs and Local Government Assistance, and advised that the selection process is in the advanced stages. In addition, Chairman Mikels advised the Committee of the compensation proposed for the newly-promoted Director of Planning, Dr. Elaine Chang. Chairman Mikels further reported the proposed compensation adjustments and contract renewals for the Deputy Executive Officer of Planning, Transportation and Information Management, the Deputy Executive Officer of Stationary Source Compliance, Intergovernmental Affairs Officer Larry Rhinehart, the Director of Small Business Assistance, and the Executive Officer. Finally, Chairman Mikels noted that in the instances in which a Designated Deputy did not receive a salary adjustment with the contract renewal, it should be understood that the person’s performance was not in question, but rather, that salary compaction had occurred and was thus affecting the Designated Deputy’s compensation, accordingly. After a brief discussion,. this item was unanimously approved (Wilson/Paulitz).

Report on Board Member Travel Authorized by the

Chairman (February 21-March 21, 1997):

DATE	TRAVELER	DESTINATION	PURPOSE
4/24-25/97	James Silva	Sacramento	CARB Meeting

/ / /