South Coast Air Quality Management District

Execute Contracts with Orange County and Western Riverside Councils of Governments for Local Government Outreach

SYNOPSIS: 

Contracts are proposed with the Orange County Council of Governments for $45,000, and with the Western Riverside Council of Governments for $30,000 to provide local government outreach that will encompass the development of a Model Air Quality Element and provide outreach regarding AQMD activities and rules, including the Clean Fleet Vehicle Rules and AB 2766 program recommendations. This includes development of policy language to demonstrate the air quality, economic, land use and transportation benefits that can be derived from the adoption of discretionary air quality elements in local government General Plans. Sufficient funds are available in the FY 2002-03 Budget.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, June 14, 2002, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute individual contracts with the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) for $45,000 and with the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) for $30,000 to provide outreach assistance to local jurisdictions.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Many opportunities exist for Council of Government (COG) leadership to complement the ongoing outreach work of AQMD staff. Because of the unique position and special relationships COGs have with their member cities, significant progress can be made by the COGs in promoting, educating, and encouraging partnerships that support the AQMD�s clean air strategies.

This proposal is to enter into a contract with OCCOG and WRCOG to develop Model Air Quality Elements that could be adopted into city General Plans and perform outreach to their members regarding AQMD activities and rules. In the process, the COGs will also identify other types of land use related actions that can achieve air quality benefits and avoid sensitive receptor impacts, hold workshops for local jurisdictions to discuss city feedback on the model elements, promote adoption of the elements through individual meetings with city managers and elected officials, conduct follow-up meetings to evaluate progress toward their adoption, and provide a final report to the Board of the results of their effort.

In 1998, the Board�s Mobile Source Committee asked staff to explore the local COGs� level of interest in forming partnerships with the AQMD to provide assistance to their member jurisdictions. As a result, a group of COGs (South Bay Cities COG; Orange County COG, SANBAG, and Western Riverside COG) entered into individual contracts with the AQMD to implement outreach programs to their member jurisdictions.

Under those contracts, the COGs surveyed local use of their local air quality funds. At the conclusion of their effort, the COGs evaluated the success of the pilot project and provided recommendations for consideration in their final reports to the Board.

The COGs also presented their reports to the Local Government and Small Business Assistance Advisory Group and to the Mobile Source Committee. Both committees recommended pursuing future agreements with COGs for them to provide local government outreach when appropriate issues or opportunities arise.

On May 30, 2002, AQMD received a jointly prepared Scope of Work from OCCOG and WRCOG. The COGs proposed entering into contracts with the AQMD, through which they would develop Model Air Quality Elements that could be adopted into city General Plans and would perform outreach to their member agencies regarding AQMD activities and rules, including the Clean Fleet Vehicle Rules.

This proposal is comprised of projects in which OCCOG and WRCOG will develop Model Air Quality Elements that could be adopted into city General Plans and to perform outreach to their members regarding AQMD activities and rules. The tasks and subtasks included in the project Scope of Work are:

ption of Air Quality Element Subtask 1(b) products.

 websites, with links to the AQMD site.

Staff recommends the Board to authorize the Chairman to execute a new contract with OCCOG for $45,000, and with WRCOG for $30,000, for a period of one year to provide outreach assistance to prepare Model Air Quality Elements and associated activities.

Sufficient funds are available in the FY 2002-03 Budget.

Scope of Work
 

The Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) and the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), submit this Scope of Work to continue the partnership that exists between the AQMD and local jurisdictions. The existing partnership is facilitated through cooperative interaction of Councils of Governments (COGs) and their member agencies, and the benefits are the reduction of air pollution and improvement of the quality of life for residents throughout the AQMD jurisdiction. This Scope of Work is based on the premise that local jurisdictions, through various air quality and land use planning policies and implementation mechanisms, can over time improve their communities environmentally and economically utilizing a number of available planning tools.

This Scope of Work is proposed as a joint project with OCCOG and WRCOG in conjunction with AQMD, and builds upon previous successful ventures between these partners. The work described below will be completed within one-year from the date of commencement. Other COGs could employ the products of the effort throughout the AQMD jurisdiction.

This scope proposes two tasks with associated subtasks detailing specific activities. It offers a combined budget for both COGs. All work will be subject to AQMD review and approval prior to implementation.

Subtask 1.a. � Develop a Model Air Quality Element for potential adoption by cities within COG jurisdictions: COG staff will research existing air quality elements, policies, and related plans adopted by local jurisdictions in the South Coast Air Basin and in California, and develop an enhanced model element for review and consideration by local jurisdictions throughout the Basin. The model element will incorporate recent findings/studies/examinations pertaining to advances in the field of air quality and transportation linkages, and will provide policy language that will demonstrate the air quality, economic, land use and transportation benefits, including Policies to address the siting of toxic emission sources relative to sensitive receptors, that can be derived from adoption of a discretionary air quality element in a local jurisdiction�s General Plan.

Subtask 1.b. � Identify other types of land use related actions that can achieve air quality benefits: In addition to the development of a model air quality element as described in Subtask 1.a., COG staff will develop specific land use actions/activities that can be undertaken by local jurisdictions through zoning, specific plan, building standards and other applications that can individually and collectively produce air quality benefits and minimize local air quality impacts. Such improvements will include avoidance of sensitive receptor impacts, and other actions such as parking standards and lot design, building design and placement, materials use and vegetation, etc., that can minimize/reduce heating and cooling needs, actions to promote pedestrian activity, etc.

Subtask 1.c. � Distribute Model Air Quality Element and Subtask 1.b. products to local jurisdictions for review and comment: COG staff will follow-up with member agencies to answer questions as they arise and will document comments they receive.

Subtask 1.d. � Hold a workshop to discuss the proposed Model Air Quality Element and the products of Subtask 1.b with local jurisdictions and interested agencies: This workshop may be held on a subregional basis, and include representatives from various interest groups, such as energy providers, builders, local jurisdictions, legislators, and Board members as a means of attaining consensus on the need for such actions/amendments to be incorporated into the local jurisdictional planning processes.

Subtask 1.e. � Conduct follow-up meetings with jurisdictions to evaluate their interest and encourage them to pursue adoption of Air Quality Elements Subtask 1.b. products: Included in this subtask will be the development of a survey instrument to gauge the level of support and/or opposition by local jurisdictions in pursuing such measures, and subsequently developing a Final Report to the Board regarding survey findings and possible follow-on courses of action.

Subtask 2.a. � Provide summaries of AQMD activities and rules to COG members: This task will provide monthly reports from the COGs to member agencies (via a newsletter and monthly reports) regarding AQMD, CARB and federal activities, rule development, legislative initiatives, and timelines on issues that may be of interest to, or could potentially impact the operations of, local jurisdictions. Such products will also be disseminated to, and discussed with, subregional organizations within the AQMD jurisdiction during monthly meetings of the Subregional Coordinators Group, and distributed in e-mail format to all elected officials, city managers, county executives, planning directors, public works directors, and others.

Subtask 2.b. � Provide monthly updates to policy and technical committees regarding rules and their implementation, including the implementation of Clean Fleet Vehicle Rules.

Subtask 2.c. � Conduct an annual Clean Fleet Vehicle Rules Workshop in both counties, for all local jurisdictions, including school districts, other stakeholders, and diverse interest groups.

Subtask 2.d. � Provide air quality information (all information as described in this draft scope of work) on the COG websites, with links to the AQMD site.

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