BOARD MEETING DATE: April 4, 2003
AGENDA NO. 14

Authorize Purchase of Digital Signal Processing Upgrades for the AQMD Radar Wind and Temperature Profiler Network

SYNOPSIS: 

AQMD currently has four radar wind profilers to meet upper air meteorological measurement needs and requirements of the U.S. EPA Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) program. This action is to authorize a sole-source purchase of digital signal processing upgrades for the profilers from the manufacturer, Vaisala Inc., to increase the data return and improve radio interference rejection. The total cost of $206,108 includes the four fixed asset upgrades at $190,400 and $15,708 for taxes. Funding in the amount of $200,000 is identified in the FY 2002-03 Budget from the EPA Section 105 Grant supplement for the PAMS Program. Fixed asset cost savings of $6,056 realized from the recent purchase of a PAMS modeling server and $52 from the PAMS Miscellaneous Taxes account will provide the remaining $6,108.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, March 14, 2003, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Procurement Manager to issue a purchase order for digital signal processing upgrades (LAP Digital IF^®) for four AQMD radar wind and temperature profilers to Vaisala Inc., at a cost not to exceed $206,108.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

AQMD currently operates a network of radar wind and temperature profiling systems in each of the four counties of the South Coast basin. These systems meet the upper air meteorological measurement requirements of the U.S. EPA PAMS program and provide detailed information of the wind and temperature structure of the lower atmosphere for air quality forecasting, episode analyses and modeling. With this sole-source purchase, the profiler manufacturer, Vaisala Inc., will provide upgrades to the system electronics and software of the four Model LAP-3000 profilers. This upgrade to digital signal processing will increase the data return from these instruments and improve the rejection of erroneous data due to interference. The total cost of this sole-source purchase is $206,108, including $190,400 for the four fixed-asset upgrades and $15,708 for taxes. Funding for this purchase in the amount of $200,000 is in the FY 2002-03 Budget from the U.S. EPA Section 105 Grant supplement for the PAMS Program. The remaining $6,108 is available from a cost savings from another recent PAMS fixed-asset purchase and from the Miscellaneous Taxes account budgeted for the PAMS program.

Proposal

This action is to purchase four LAP Digital IF^® digital signal processing upgrades for the Vaisala LAP^®-3000 radar wind and temperature profilers as part of the PAMS upper-air monitoring program from Vaisala Inc., in an amount not to exceed $206,108.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII(B) of the Procurement Policy Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for sole source award is made under provisions B.2.c: The desired services are available from only the sole-source based upon (1) The unique experience and capabilities of the proposed contractor or contractor team; (2) The project involves the use of proprietary technology; and (3) The contractor has ownership of key assets required for project performance. Since Vaisala Inc. is the sole manufacturer and only commercial vendor of this radar wind and temperature profiler instrumentation, they are uniquely experienced and capable of providing this upgrade. No other company has manufactured similar upgrades to these instruments at this time. This work requires the use of proprietary technology and key assets that Vaisala has uniquely developed for these instruments, including the digital processing technology employed in the upgrade. Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Vaisala, Sonoma Technology Inc., and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Vaisala is exclusively licensed to develop, manufacture and market this technology. Furthermore, the use of third-party components in the profiling system would void the warranty and Vaisala would no longer be able to guarantee the specifications of the instrument.

Resource Impacts

Sufficient funds, not to exceed $206,108, are available in the FY 2002-03 Budget from U.S. EPA grants allocated to the AQMD for the tenth year of the PAMS program. The Board recognized $200,000 of PAMS funds for this purchase on September 13, 2002. Fixed-asset cost savings of $6,056 realized from the recent purchase of a PAMS modeling server and $52 from the PAMS Miscellaneous Taxes account will provide the remaining $6,108. Since this purchase uses existing PAMS pass-through funds, it will not impact AQMD staff or fiscal resources.

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