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Amend Contract with Ecotek for Privatization of Portions of the Annual Emissions Report Program

SYNOPSIS:

In January 1998, the Board awarded a contract to Ecotek for continuation of privatization of portions of the Annual Emissions Report (AER) Program. For the past four years, Ecotek has developed, maintained, and updated the emissions reporting software; produced and distributed reporting materials (forms and instructions); provided public outreach and assistance; collected and compiled reported data; and conducted limited data quality control. Based on Ecotek’s responsiveness and satisfactory performance, staff recommends exercising the third-year option in Ecotek’s contract to renew for an amount not to exceed $250,000, bringing the contract total to $775,000. Funding for this contract amendment is allocated in the FY 1999-00 Budget.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, February 11, 2000, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Executive Officer to execute a contract with Ecotek, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $250,000 to exercise the third-year renewal option for privatization of portions of the Annual Emissions Report Program.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

For the past four years, AQMD has privatized portions of the Annual Emissions Report (AER) Program. Under this Program, facilities annually report their emissions and pay emission-based fees in accordance with Rule 301(e) requirements. Privatization of the AER Program has significantly enhanced the overall program efficiency, improved services to facilities as well as data quality and enabled AQMD staff to more effectively conduct engineering audit of the annual emission reports and provide support for other AQMD programs. Ecotek has been AQMD’s contractor responsible for implementing portions of the AER Program for the last four reporting cycles including: 1) revision of emission and fee reporting forms and instructions, 2) providing software and paper forms reporting options, 3) preparing and distributing emissions reporting packages to facilities subject to the program, 4) providing public outreach and assistance in filing the annual emission reports, 5) receiving the reports and compilation of emissions and fee data files, 6) conducting data quality control, and 7) transferring data files to the District for inclusion in the District’s central database. Actual collection of annual emission fees and billing adjustments continues to be handled by AQMD staff.

During the last four years, Ecotek has successfully performed all the required tasks specified in the contract. The software reporting option, developed by Ecotek, has become very popular and has been utilized by more than 60% of all reporting facilities. The reporting software has greatly reduced reporting errors and improved data quality. In addition, Ecotek has utilized software and data base systems (i.e., data-entry software for entering, managing, and checking reported data as well as export utilities to generate databases for AQMD) to support the software reporting system. Ecotek has also suggested and incorporated several improvements to the program every year based on the lessons learned from the previous year. Ecotek has provided excellent customer service for the reporting facilities and has developed a very good working relationship with AQMD staff. Furthermore, due to the Contractor’s services, District staff has been able to conduct more detailed engineering audits of the annual emission reports for the last several years, resulting in additional revenues for the District, well in excess of the amount allocated for this contract.

Proposal

Under the current contract, AQMD can exercise the right to renew the contract with Ecotek for an additional one-year term and can also renegotiate the contract amount based on changed requirements and/or approved funds. For the 1998-99 AER Program, the contract amount was renegotiated for the total amount of $275,000 to offset the unanticipated increased cost of software modifications for that reporting year. For the purpose of implementing portions of the 1999-00 AER Program, based on Ecotek’s experience, responsiveness to program needs, and consistent and satisfactory performance, staff recommends to renew the contract with Ecotek for a total amount not to exceed $250,000.

Resource Impacts

An amount of $250,000 has been budgeted for privatization of portions of the AER Program in the Planning and Policy FY 1999-00 Budget.

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