South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District
BOARD MEETING DATE: July 21, 2000 AGENDA NO. 28
Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review
SYNOPSIS:
Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s June 22, 2000, meeting. The next MSRC meeting is Thursday, July 27, 2000, at 1:30 p.m. in Room CC8.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Norma J. Glover
AQMD Representative on MSRC
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the May 25, 2000, MSRC meeting were unanimously approved, as submitted. The minutes are attached for your information (Attachment 1).
FY 2000-01 Work Program
At its May 25, 2000 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved the one-year, $14.5 million FY 1999-00 Work Program framework, adopting the final categories and funding allocations as follows:
TCMs ($1 million):
- Voluntary Employer-Based Rideshare Incentive ($300,000);
- Information Technology/Advanced Traveler Management Information Services (ATMIS) Trip Reduction Strategies ($300,000);
- Regional Electric-Assist Bicycle Incentive ($100,000);
- Employer-Based Bicycle Projects ($100,000); and
- Transit-Oriented Development Land-Use Strategies ($200,000).
- Allocation to Existing Buydown Programs for Light-Duty Alternative Fuel Vehicles ($1 million); this allocation will not result in a solicitation, but will be used to augment the current programs which have been oversubscribed;
- Alternative Fuels Subvention Fund Match Program ($3 million);
- On-/Off-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicle Diesel Pollution Reduction Program ($3.25 million);
- Alternative Fuel Transit Bus Program ($4.25 million); and
- Reserve Allocation for Pending School Bus Program ($2 million); this allocation will not result in the immediate release of a solicitation, but is pending details of how the state's school bus replacement program will be conducted.
At its June 22 meeting, the MSRC considered and approved RFP/Qs for the five TCM categories, but was unable to complete consideration of the clean fuels program solicitations because a quorum was lost. The MSRC continued review of the clean fuels program solicitations until its next meeting on July 27. Consequently, consideration by the AQMD Governing Board of the Work Program "in concept" and the accompanying solicitation mechanisms have been continued until our August 18, 2000 meeting.
Outreach Efforts for FY 2000-01 Work Program
The MSRC approved the release of a tri-fold brochure announcing the funding solicitations for its FY 2000-01 Work Program. This brochure will be mailed in early August to approximately 1,700 interested parties on the MSRC's mailing list, as well as to members of the Latino and African-American Legislative Caucuses, all mayors and city managers in the south coast district, various targeted audiences (e.g., bicycle vendors), and placed on both the AQMD's website and the MSRC's newly operational website (mentioned below).
The MSRC also adopted a general audience brochure intended to inform readers about the MSRC and its funding opportunities. This brochure will be mailed to various targeted audiences and placed on the MSRC's website.
The AQMD's Ethnic Community Advisory Group volunteered to assist the MSRC in reaching out to ethnic communities in the south coast district. The MSRC's public outreach coordinator under contract will work with AQMD staff and members of the ECAG to facilitate this expanded outreach and hopefully increase response to the funding solicitations. The ECAG will also be provided with copies of all funding solicitations and the work program and general audience brochures for their information and dissemination.
In addition, last year the MSRC contracted with a team of experts on heavy-duty clean fuels issues to spread the word about the MSRC's incentive opportunities and reach out to more heavy-duty fleet operators to encourage them to apply for MSRC incentives and then assist them in troubleshooting once vehicles have been delivered. For the upcoming work program, they have been issued a task order to contact smaller municipal transit operators and assist them in applying for funds under the MSRC's Alternative Fuels Transit Bus Program. It was also suggested that the availability of this outreach assistance should be communicated on the MSRC's website, and this idea is being explored. Coordination will also be conducted with AQMD staff to complement its outreach and assistance efforts relative to the fleet rules.
Amendments to FY 1999-00 Work Program
Since the state budget allocated $50 million for a school bus replacement program, the MSRC put its new school bus program on hold, setting aside a reserve of $2 million for a FY 2000-01 program pending resolution of how the state's program will be conducted. However, the MSRC's existing CNG school bus program from the FY 1999-00 Work Program was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2000. Two school bus vendor contracts were also scheduled to expire on that date. At its June 22, 2000 meeting, the MSRC unanimously agreed to extend the program and the vendor contracts six months through December 31, 2000. This will allow four school districts to invoice for buses on order once they are delivered and to allow other districts to participate if they so desire. This program provides a $40,000 buydown incentive for qualifying CNG school buses.
A contract for $375,000 with the California Energy Commission for an EV Infrastructure Incentive Program was approved as part of the MSRC's FY 1999-00 Work Program. This followed a similar MSRC contract in FY 1998-99 for $250,000, but which expired with funds unspent because the CEC's launch of the program was delayed. The CEC requested that the unspent funds from the first contract in the FY 1998-99 Work Program (up to $231,000) be transferred to the follow-on contract of $375,000 for a total MSRC allocation of $606,000 in the FY 1999-00 Work Program. This would ensure sufficient monies in the program and eliminate the need for the CEC to terminate existing contracts with automakers. The CEC also requested that the contract end date be extended through June 30, 2001, to coincide with the end date of the MSRC's light-duty vehicle buydown programs, which help buy down the higher cost of ZEV/LEVs. Finally, the CEC requested that the match contribution from the MSRC increase from $250 to $500 to allow the CEC's contribution to decrease from $500 to $250. This change would still result in a $750 incentive for each infrastructure installation in the south coast district, but would allow the CEC to support approximately 300 more infrastructure installations in this region. The total contribution from the MSRC over two work programs for the EV Infrastructure Incentive Program would not exceed $625,000. The amendments to the CEC contract as part of the FY 1999-00 Work Program are under consideration by the Governing Board as part of the July 21, 2000 consent calendar.
MSRC Website
The MSRC's website is now operational and can be accessed at "www.msrc-cleanair.org". Funding solicitations for the upcoming FY 2000-01 Work Program will be available for viewing and downloading at this site once they have been approved by the AQMD Governing Board. The website also includes the legislative history of the MSRC, its membership, and adopted policies and procedures, among other information and facts. Additional work is still being undertaken on the website's library, which will eventually include a one-page summary of all projects funded in past work programs.
Contract Modification Requests
The MSRC unanimously approved a six-month contractual term extension on Clean Air Partners Contract #98014, which provides $500,000 for the development and certification of a medium-/heavy-duty dual fuel LPG engine. Technical issues that have now been resolved relating to the fuel injector system caused a delay in the project, but it is anticipated that the project will be completed and certification of the engine achieved.
Contract Administrator Report
The MSRC's AB 2766 Contract Administrator provided a written status report on all open contracts from FY 1994-95 through the present. This Contract Administrator Report is attached for your information (Attachment 2).
1 - Approved May 25, 2000, Minutes
2 - Contract Administrator Report
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