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REPORT:

Administrative Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Administrative Committee met Friday, July 23, 1999, and reviewed the proposed agenda for the August 13, 1999 Board meeting. The Committee also discussed various issues detailed in the Committee report. The next Administrative Committee meeting is Friday, August 20, 1999, at 9:30 a.m., in Conference Room CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Norma J. Glover, Chair
Administrative Committee

Attendance:
Present were Committee Chair Glover, Committee members Beatrice LaPisto-Kirtley and Roy Wilson (via videoconference). Dr. William Burke participated (via videoteleconference) as an ad hoc Administrative Committee member for the meeting of July 23, 1999 only. Absent were Members Hal Bernson, Cynthia Coad and Mee Hae Lee.

DISCUSSION ITEMS:

1. Chairman’s Report of Approved Travel: Moved (LaPisto-Kirtley), seconded (Wilson) and unanimously recommended for approval. (See end of report for detail.)

2. Approval of Compensation for Board Member Assistant(s): The Committee considered and recommended approval of the proposed renewal of the contract for Board Member Mee Lee’s consultant, Kelly Candaele, as consultant-independent contractor status for FY 1999-00. Retroactive reimbursement was requested to July 1, 1999. Moved (Burke), seconded (LaPisto-Kirtley), and unanimously recommended for approval.

3. Out-of-Country Travel: There was no out-of-country travel to report.

AUGUST AGENDA ITEMS:

4. Report of RFPs and RFQs Scheduled for Release in August: Rick Pearce, Chief Financial Officer, reported that there were four RFPs scheduled for release in August. Committee Chair Glover requested that the report be divided so the Committee could consider each of the RFPs individually.

• Issue RFP for Legislative Representation in Sacramento, CA – Committee Chair Glover stated that AQMD has had very effective representation in Sacramento with the current legislative representative, Allan Lind. The District has been able to achieve most of its legislative goals during Mr. Lind’s term and he has established excellent rapport with legislators as AQMD’s representative. Considering the time and expense involved in issuing an RFP and the benefits of continuity at this time, Committee Chair Glover made the motion to execute a two-year, sole source contract with Mr. Lind, with a one-year renewal option, seconded (LaPisto-Kirtley). The motion further included that Mr. Lind have the ability to put together his own team of subcontractors. In response to Dr. Burke’s inquiry, Ms. LaPisto-Kirtley (who serves as Chair of the Legislative Committee) reported that the Legislative Committee had not voted on this recommendation. She had not been aware a sole source contract was an option. Ms. LaPisto-Kirtley, Norma Glover, and Roy Wilson are members of both the Legislative and Administrative Committees. The motion was unanimously recommended for approval. An item was added to the August Board Meeting for Board consideration with this recommendation.
• Issue RFP for Legislative Representation in Washington, DC: Moved (LaPisto-Kirtley), seconded (Glover) and unanimously recommended for approval.
• Issue RFP for Private Data Network Services to Support the Emissions Report System: Moved (Wilson), seconded (LaPisto-Kirtley ) and unanimously recommended for approval.
• Issue RFP for Surveys to Track the Effectiveness of Voluntary Ridesharing and Other Emission Reduction Options: Moved (LaPisto-Kirtley), seconded (Burke) and unanimously recommended for approval.

5. Adopt Recommendations Presented in the Environmental Justice Task Force Final Report: Lupe Valdez, Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs and Transportation Programs, reported that the Environmental Justice Task Force (EJTF), created by the Board, has been meeting for 18 months and has spent considerable time with each of the initiatives which were proposed by Chairman Burke and approved by the Board. Ms. Valdez proceeded to briefly explain the recommendations for each of the initiatives from the EJTF report.
   
   Committee Chair Glover requested that staff provide the Board with a concise report regarding the data obtained from the air monitoring stations. The report should include information relative to what the data should reflect compared to the actual air monitoring results. Dr. Burke added that this report should also be sent to former Board Member, Senator Richard Alarcón, since he had been involved in the process.
   
   Dr. Burke expressed his appreciation to those Board Members involved in the EJTF who gave their time, energy and expertise to make the Board’s dreams and visions a reality. AQMD owes them a debt of gratitude.
   
   Ms. Valdez continued adding that, with respect to trading programs, the EJTF did not come to an agreement on this issue. However, if AQMD trading programs are revised or new ones are created in the future, the Task Force recommends that they include the EJTF principles designed to address environmental justice concerns.
   
   Regarding Initiative #7 – Diesel Fuel Clean-Up Incentives, Ms. LaPisto-Kirtley inquired what was being done to educate the public. Dr. Wallerstein reported that staff will be proposing that the Agency prepare a toxic air contaminant control plan at the Board’s September 1999 meeting. The genesis of this plan stems from the final MATES II data, the contribution of stationary sources versus the mobile sources, in particular diesels, and shows that out of a relative cumulative risk of about 1,400 in a million, approximately 1,000 of that is from diesel alone. Staff wants to present a report that comprehensively describes the toxics problem and highlights the need to control diesel emissions. The report and the MATES II data are expected to generate a considerable amount of media attention. In addition, staff has been making presentations in various public settings highlighting that diesels are the #1 toxic risk and a major contributor to the fine particulate problem.
   
   
   Dr. Burke supported Ms. LaPisto-Kirtley’s suggestion for billboards designed to portray the severity of the diesel pollution problem and suggested staff contact various parties, including Eller Media, that provides public service billboards. Tom Eichhorn, Director of Communications, advised the Committee that staff from Science & Technology and Communications are working together to develop an outreach campaign to educate the public about the need for clean alternative engines. One of the components of the campaign would be to highlight the harm caused by diesel soot exhaust.
   
   Dr. Burke informed the Committee about a $60 million lawsuit currently working its way through the court system where an environmental group is suing the MTA because it did not run an advertisement on the buses which said "Diesel Kills," with pictures of skeletons.
   
   Committee Chair Glover said that, although there had been some criticism, she personally liked the ads that AQMD did in partnership with Southern California Edison and suggested identifying other agencies or companies AQMD could partner with to run advertisements.
   
   Ms. LaPisto-Kirtley asked if there was a way that the money that AQMD collects in fines could be applied to the purchase of additional air monitoring devices. Dr. Wallerstein responded that some revenues from settlement cases have gone toward monitoring and measurements of ambient air quality, and more could be targeted for that program.
   
   When Ms. Valdez concluded the final EJTF report, the item was moved (LaPisto-Kirtley), seconded (Wilson) and unanimously recommended for approval.

6. Authorize Purchase of PeopleSoft Software Support Maintenance for Integrated Financial/Human Resources System: Mark Henninger, Technology Implementation Manager in Information Management, reported that staff is requesting approval for the purchase of the second year of software maintenance and support, adding that this will be an annual request. Moved (Burke), seconded (Wilson) and unanimously recommended for approval.

7. Review August 13, 1999 Board Agenda: Dr. Wallerstein advised the Committee of the following changes to the agenda:
   
   ADDITIONS:
• Election of Chair and Vice Chair for Two-Year Term Beginning January 2000 - Dr. Burke requested moving this item from the September to the August agenda at the request of a couple of the Board Members whose travel schedules will prevent them from attending the September, 1999 Board Meeting.
• Direct the Executive Officer to encourage all District employees to participate in ‘Take Our Sons to Work Day’ on Friday, August 20 - Supervisor Michael Antonovich requested, by letter to Committee Chair Glover, that this item be added to the August agenda. In response to a question from the committee, Dr. Wallerstein commented that he had sent a note to Supervisor Antonovich informing him that AQMD has a "Bring Your Child to Work Day" on the day that is nationally designated for "Bring Your Daughters to Work Day."
• Execute Sole Source Contract for Legislative Services in Sacramento, CA - Item added pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation noted previously.

MODIFICATION:

• Report of RFPs and RFQs Scheduled for Release in August – Delete the issuance of an RFP for legislative representation in Sacramento, CA from the report, pursuant to the Committee’s recommendation.

10. Other Business: None.

11. Public Comment: None.

Committee Chair Glover adjourned the meeting at 10:18 a.m.

Report on Board Member Travel Authorized by the

Chairman (June 18 – July 23, 1999)

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