BOARD MEETING DATE: October 1, 2004
AGENDA NO. 26

Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee

SYNOPSIS:

Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s September 23, 2004 meeting. Since the AQMD representative on the MSRC, Supervisor Michael Antonovich, was not present at this meeting, it is submitted by Henry Hogo who was present and acts as the AQMD’s liaison to the MSRC. The MSRC’s next meeting is Thursday, October 28, 2004, at 1:30 p.m. in Room CC8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Henry Hogo
Assistant Deputy Executive Officer/
Science & Technology Advancement

Minutes

Minutes from the May 27, 2004 meeting were unanimously approved. They are attached for your information (Attachment 1).

FY 2004-05 Work Program Awards and Allocations

On August 6, 2004, the Board approved the FY 2004-05 AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Conceptual Work Program, including commitments of $1 million for a CNG School Bus Incentives Program and $1.75 million for an On-Road Diesel Vehicle Replacement Program, subject to MSRC and AQMD Board approval at a later date. The latter program was supposed to be addressed by the MSRC at its September 23, 2004 meeting; however, consideration of the sole-source contract to implement this program has been postponed until next month to allow additional time for the MSRC’s Technical Advisory Committee to research various complexities of the program. Recommendations will be presented to the AQMD Board as part of the FY 2004-05 Work Program after the MSRC makes its final decisions. The MSRC did consider its commitment of $1 million for a CNG School Bus Incentives Program at its September 23, 2004 meeting. For several years the MSRC has offered incentives towards the purchase of CNG school buses; these incentives have been offered through local vendors who qualified under an RFQ process. Incentives are tiered based on the type of qualifying bus; 1) $60,000 for full-size Type D buses; $50,000 for mid-size buses; and 3) $25,000 for Type A cutaway school buses. For the last two years the MSRC has contracted with three local school bus vendors--A-Z Bus Sales, California Bus Sales, and BusWest. The MSRC unanimously awarded sole-source contracts to these three vendors in the amount of $240,000 each, while the remaining $280,000 of the $1 million commitment was retained to augment the vendor contracts based on sales performance, subject to review and approval by the MSRC.

In May 2003, following an RFP process, the Board approved the award of $45,000 to The Better World Group to provide programmatic outreach services for a one-year period, as part of the FY 2002-03 Work Program, with three additional one-year options to be exercised at the discretion of the MSRC while additional future funding would be subject to MSRC and AQMD Board approval. The contract was executed in October 2003 and outreach coordinator services were essentially provided in the FY 2003-04 timeframe. The current contract expires October 3, 2004. At its September 23, 2004 meeting the MSRC unanimously approved exercising the first-year option with The Better World Group to provide programmatic outreach services for another year. To perform ongoing services and complete task orders as needed, the MSRC awarded an additional $45,000 as part of the FY 2004-05 Work Program. If the option is not exercised before the current end date of the contract, the MSRC approved issuing a new contract with The Better World Group, including $6,994 in unexpended funds from the current contract plus the additional $45,000, for a total contract value of $51,994, for FY 2004-05 services.

On October 1, 2004, the AQMD Board will consider these three sole-source contracts and the modification to exercise the option with The Better World Group as part of the MSRC’s FY 2004-05 Work Program.

FY 2003-04 Work Program Awards and Modifications

In December 2003 the AQMD Board approved modifications of three school bus vendor contracts with A-Z Bus Sales, California Bus Sales and BusWest to provide incentives for CNG school buses as part of the FY 2003-04 Work Program. Of the $2 million awarded under this Work Program, each vendor was awarded an initial $600,000, with the remaining $200,000 set aside to augment the contracts based on sales performance, subject to review and approval of the MSRC. The contract terms were extended through December 31, 2004. Although A-Z Bus Sales already obligated the entire $600,000 to provide incentives to school districts, Lake Elsinore School District recently applied to A-Z Bus Sales for the buydown of four 84-passenger CNG school buses. In order to provide the $60,000 incentive per bus, the vendor requested additional funds totaling $240,000 from the MSRC. At its September 23, 2004 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved augmenting A-Z Bus Sales’ contract an additional $240,000 ($200,000 from the allocation set aside in FY 2003-04 and $40,000 from turnback funds).

In November 2003 the AQMD Board approved the FY 2003-04 AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Conceptual Work Program, including a commitment of $500,000 for regional rideshare database enhancements, which would entail two sole-source contracts, subject to MSRC and AQMD Board approval at a later date, and release of a $500,000 Program Announcement, #PA2004-06, to implement a Diesel Exhaust After-Treatment Retrofit Program. The details of the work to carry out the rideshare database enhancements and the specifics of the two sole-source contracts have finally been resolved. At its September 23, 2004 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved the two sole-source contracts to implement the Regional Rideshare Database Enhancements. This will be achieved by the creation of a Regional Rideshare/Transit Itinerary communications link. This link will allow transit itineraries to be published on RideGuides created by the RidePro system, as well as allowing transit itineraries to be accessed through the Ridematch.info website. Although the MSRC originally allocated $500,000 for this effort, the final sole-source awards totaled $345,000, split between the Riverside County Transportation Commission (not to exceed $225,000) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (not to exceed $120,000).

On October 1, 2004, the AQMD Board will consider these two sole-source contracts for the rideshare database enhancements and the modification of the school bus vendor contract as part of the MSRC’s FY 2003-04 Work Program.

Also on September 23, 2004, the MSRC unanimously agreed not to fund any of the ten applications received under the FY 2003-04 Diesel Exhaust After-Treatment Retrofit Program Announcement, #PA2004-06. The open application period for this PA was January 13, 2004 through April 9, 2004, and the $500,000 funding for after-treatment retrofit devices was to be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, shortly after the release of the PA, CARB de-verified several of the eligible traps because of warranty issues with the manufacturers. This disrupted the MSRC’s application period and potentially affected some of the applicants who applied for funding for the de-verified traps. Although the issues have since been resolved, in light of the disruption and the potential inequities to applicants, the MSRC re-allocated the $500,000 to its current FY 2004-05 Diesel Exhaust After-Treatment Retrofit Program. The open application period for this PA, #PA2005-02, is September 24 through October 26, 2004, and those that applied last year have been notified of the new opportunity. The MSRC and AQMD Board will consider applications under the current PA at a future date.

FY 2002-03 Work Program New/Replacement Contracts

At its September 23, 2004 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved a new/replacement contract for the City of Grand Terrace in the amount of $17,925 for the construction of a CNG time-fill refueling station. In May 2003, the AQMD Board approved a contract with the City of Grand Terrace in the amount of $57,925 for a CNG time-fill refueling station and four medium-duty CNG vehicles under the Local Government Match Program as part of the FY 2002-03 Work Program. In June 2004, the City requested elimination of the four vehicles and a one-year contract term extension to complete construction of the refueling station. The MSRC approved the modification along with a $40,000 reduction in the contract value at its July 22, 2004 meeting. Subsequently, staff discovered the contract actually ended in May 2004; thus, the modification could not be executed. In order to fulfill the MSRC’s intention as indicated by their actions, which were also subsequently approved by the AQMD Board, the MSRC approved the new/replacement contract as part of the FY 2003-04 Work Program at its September 23, 2004 meeting.

Additionally, the MSRC approved new/replacement contracts with the County of Riverside and City of Palm Desert. In February 2003, the AQMD Board approved ten contracts under the Coachella Valley PM10 Reduction Program as part of the FY 2002-03 Work Program. Of these ten contracts, one was to the County of Riverside in the amount of $62,396 for in-fill paving along two roadway sections within the County, and a second was to the City of Palm Desert in the amount of $42,339 to implement soil stabilization and install vegetation and wind fencing. The MSRC approved extensions of both contract terms in June and July 2004, respectively, but the contracts expired before the extensions could be executed. No payments had been made under either contract at the time they expired. Consequently, at its September 23, 2004 meeting, the MSRC awarded new/replacement contracts in the original amounts and for the same work for both local governments.

On October 1, 2004, the AQMD Board will consider these three new/replacement contracts as part of the MSRC’s FY 2002-03 Work Program.

FY 1998-99 Work Program Special Fund Payment

As part of the FY 1998-99 Work Program, the MSRC installed numerous electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in parking lots at shopping centers and business venues. One $8,655 award was granted to the City of Lakewood to install two EV charging stations at a Wal-Mart. Although the work was performed, no payment was made to the City. An invoice for a portion of the work was received in January 2001, shortly after the end of the contract term. Staff held the invoice, pending a revised invoice for full billing and documentation. In April 2001 the City was notified that January 31, 2002, would be the final date to submit reimbursement claims and that the EV contracts would be closed. The City did not submit a revised invoice until April 2004. At its September 23, 2004 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved payment of the original $3,954.50 invoice for work performed during the contract term and which had been billed shortly after the contract ended, but denied payment of the late invoice received nearly three years after the contract end date. On October 1, 2004, the AQMD Board will consider the MSRC’s request to pay the original invoice in the amount of $3,954.50 from the MSRC’s special Fund #23, for the work performed under the City of Lakewood’s contract #AB99070.

Final Reports Received and Approved

The MSRC unanimously received and approved four final reports, as follows:

1)	County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles Contract #AB01021, which provided up to $496,000 to repower 8 heavy-duty vehicles and construct a L/CNG station;
2)	City of Riverside Contract #AB02010, which provided up to $118,360 for the purchase of 5 heavy-duty CNG vehicles;
3)	Riverside County Transportation Commission Contract #AB02026, which provided up to $96,982 for implementation of a Rideshare to Rails Program including carpool incentives and expanded bus routes; and
4)	Johnson|Ukropina Contract #MS03017, which provided up to $800,000 to implement the "Pick-A-Day, Any Day" Rideshare Public Awareness Campaign.

All final reports are filed in the AQMD's library and a two-page summary of each closed project can be viewed in the electronic library on the MSRC's website at http://www.msrc-cleanair.org.

Contract Modification Requests

The MSRC considered five modification requests and took unanimous action, as follows:

1. For City of Cathedral City Contract #MS03031, which provides up to $79,036 to perform soil stabilization and installation of wind fencing, approval of a one-year contractual term extension;
    
2. For Waste Management of the Desert Contract #AB00012, which originally provided up to $521,724 towards the purchase o f natural gas refuse trucks, approval to substitute LNG for CNG trucks in the contract;
    
3. For City of Mission Viejo Contract #ML03021, which provides up to $75,085 towards the purchase of three CNG pick-ups and installation of a CNG station, approval of a six-month contractual term extension;
    
4. For City of Anaheim Contract #ML03009, which provides up to $60,000 towards the purchase of three heavy-duty CNG vehicles, approval of a 13-month contractual term extension and to substitute a CNG aerial tree trimmer truck for a CNG Vactor sewer truck for the two CNG aerial utility trucks specified in the current contract; and
    
5. For City of Burbank Contract #L0201, which provides up to $406,750 towards the purchase of 14 heavy-duty vehicles and construction of a CNG station, approval of an eight-month contractual term extension.

Contract Administrator Report

The MSRC's AB 2766 Contract Administrator provided a written status report on all open contracts from FY 1999-00 through the present. This Contract Administrator Report is attached for your information (Attachment 2).

Attachments

1 –Approved May 27, 2004 Minutes
2 –Contract Administrator Report

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