BOARD MEETING DATE: April 20, 2001 AGENDA NO. 14

At its March 16, 2001 meeting, the Governing Board approved allocation of $1.5 million for enhanced education and outreach to African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities, as part of the Board's overall expenditure plan for one-time revenue of $17 million from the AES Alamitos, LLC, settlement agreement reached in December 2000; the settlement included a civil penalty for significant air quality violations.

This outreach allocation, which represents just under 10% of the settlement penalty, will enable intensified implementation of the specific FY 2000-2001 Budget Goals/Objectives presented in the table below (as adopted by the Board in May, 2000), utilizing strategic expenditure of unexpected, one-time budgetary resources.

Specific FY 2000-2001 Budget Goals/Objectives
Targeted Under RFP #P2001-39

Goal

Targeted Objective

Ensure Expeditious Progress Toward
Clean Air.

Achieve emission reductions through a compliance program that includes air monitoring, source testing, permit reviews, education, inspections, responding to community complaints, and strategic use of penalties.

Continue rule compliance audits to evaluate rule effectiveness, respond to community complaints, resolve public nuisance concerns with the affected businesses and community, and seek public input on air quality concerns.

Increase public, business, and government knowledge of air pollution issues and support for actions needed to attain state and federal air quality standards.

Foster public awareness and understanding of air quality issues.

Continue to find effective ways to involve nonregulated public in developing the rules and policies that affect them.

Maintain liaisons with stakeholders to inform the public on air quality goals.

Ensure Equitable Treatment for
All Communities.

Continue to implement AQMD's Environmental Justice policies and programs.
Continue to implement the Children's Air Quality Agenda Initiatives.
Continue to implement the recommendations of the ad hoc Inland Empire Committee.
Implement the Seniors' Air Quality Initiatives.

As the AQMD proceeds to implement Board-directed programs and initiatives, there is a critical need to partner with the African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities, across the four counties within the AQMD's jurisdiction. Community partnering can help to promote inclusion of all community voices in air quality policy development and to encourage effective, informed air quality advocacy, as well as address the health effects of air pollution and personal pollution prevention. To accomplish this goal, however, will require an expanded outreach effort.

The Public Affairs Office is in need of the technical assistance, support, awareness/opinion polling, and outreach expertise of a number of uniquely qualified contractors to cover the broad range of cultural approaches to distinctive ethnic communities in the South Coast. Support such as specialized survey/market evaluation technologies and communication techniques can ensure that AQMD is as effective in its outreach as possible. Desired contractors will be able to provide support in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, outreach program evaluation, opinion/awareness polling and informational needs assessments, strategic planning, culturally relevant outreach material production and design, direct mail marketing, community organizing, event coordinating, community relations, and advertising.

It is anticipated that multiple awards for level-of-effort contracts will be made from this solicitation. Contracted work will be managed on a task order basis, with specific timelines as appropriate to individual task orders. Each task order will be evaluated according to specific metrics as contained in Table 1 of the attached RFP.

Staff recommends that the Board approve the proposed RFP for Community Assistance Outreach Program to provide technical assistance to the Public Affairs Office. The objectives of the RFP are:

-	to obtain technical support to accurately evaluate the level of knowledge regarding air quality health and policy issues within these ethnic communities; and
-	to subsequently utilize this baseline to support the development and implementation of strategic outreach/education programs, in collaboration with other agencies and non-profit organizations.

Selected contractors are expected to have significant experience in community relations, awareness/opinion polling, outreach implementation design, co-sponsorship identification, and outreach results evaluation. This RFP will ensure that AQMD acquires the best expertise available. The RFP will solicit outreach assistance proposals from individuals and organizations capable of providing outreach community relations and awareness/opinion research, information needs assessment, and process education to Southern California's African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities.

In accordance with AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting bids will be placed in the following publications:

1.	Antelope Valley Press	10.	La Opinion	19.	Precinct Reporter
2.	Black Voice News	11.	La Voz	20.	Rafu Shimpo
3.	Chinese Daily News	12.	Los Angeles Daily News	21.	Riverside Press Enterprise
4.	Eastern Group Publications	13.	Los Angeles Sentinel	22.	San Bernardino Sun
5.	El Chicano	14.	Los Angeles Times	23.	Santa Clarita Signal
6.	Excelsior, The	15.	M/W/DVBE Source	24.	State of California Contracts
7.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	16.	Orange County Register		Register
8.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	17.	Palm Springs Desert Sun
9.	Korea Central Daily	18.	Philippine News

Additionally, potential bidders will be notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA and Cal Trans Directories of Certified Minority, Women, Disadvantaged and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises; the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; and AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list. Notice of the RFP will be mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations; and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site [http://www.aqmd.gov, "Business and Job Opportunities" icon] and AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Proposals received will be evaluated by a diverse, technically qualified panel in accordance with criteria contained in the attached RFP. The highest-ranked proposals, based on a natural break, will be referred to the Administrative Committee for recommendation prior to approval by the full Board. The consultants selected shall be retained by level-of-effort contracts; therefore, work assignments can be issued for specific needs and projects without requiring lengthy consultant selection processes for each individual project.

Funding for the RFP, in the amount of $1.5 million, will come from the settlement with AES, previously described in the Background section of this letter.

South Coast Air Quality Management District