BOARD MEETING DATE: September 3, 2004
AGENDA NO. 8

Recognize Revenue from Other California Air Pollution Control Districts and Air Quality Management Districts for the Current Upgrade to the URBEMIS2002 Model and Appropriate Funds to the FY 2004-05 Budget

SYNOPSIS:

Since 1998, the AQMD, along with other local air pollution control agencies, has supported and maintained the URBEMIS land use model originally developed by CARB. The AQMD is currently involved in an upgrade to the URBEMIS model through an existing contract (original contract amount of $50,000). Other air pollution control agencies have expressed interest in contributing funds for the current upgrade and have requested that the AQMD administer the funds through the existing AQMD contract. This action is to recognize funds totaling $22,500 from other air pollution control agencies in California, appropriate $22,500 from the Undesignated Fund Balance, and amend Contract with Jones & Stokes to add the funds received. The funds will be used for additional tasks recommended by the other air pollution control agencies included as part of the current URBEMIS upgrade project.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, August 13, 2004. Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; those Committee members who were present communicated their concurrence.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Recognize $22,500 revenue from other air pollution control agencies in California.
    
2. Appropriate $22,500 from Undesignated Fund Balance to the Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources FY 2004-05 Budget, Services and Supplies Major Object, Professional and Special Services Account.
    
3. Upon receipt of the $22,500 from other California air pollution control agencies, authorize the Executive Officer to execute a $22,500 amendment to the Jones & Stokes Contract #02319 to upgrade the URBEMIS2002 model.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

In approximately 1998 the AQMD began supporting the use of CARB’s URBEMIS (urban emissions) model. The URBEMIS model is used by public agencies throughout California as a tool to calculate air quality impacts for projects that must undergo a CEQA environmental analysis. The URBEMIS model is able to calculate both construction and operation emissions from land use projects, includes a component that could calculate the effects of implementing mitigation measures; and can calculate emissions from all the land use types for mixed land use projects, e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, etc.

In recent years, the AQMD, along with several other air pollution control agencies in California, has taken on the responsibility of maintaining and upgrading the URBEMIS model, including upgrades to the operating system, update mobile source emissions factors from EMFAC7G to EMFAC2002, and revamping the construction module. For each upgrade, the AQMD and other air pollution control agencies have contributed funding as resources permit. This approach has benefited all air pollution control agencies because by sharing the burden of funding upgrades, greater benefits occur than if only a single agency maintained the model.

The AQMD staff is currently involved in a project to upgrade the URBEMIS2002 model through an existing contract with Jones & Stokes to: further improve the construction module, revise the mitigation measure component, add new land uses, incorporate new trip generation rates from the ITE Trip Generation manual (7^th edition), etc. Because of the administrative burden on some of the smaller air pollution control agencies to go through the RFP process and administer contracts, they have requested that the AQMD administer their funding contributions through the existing Jones & Stokes contract. Funding from other air pollution control agencies includes the following: $10,000 from San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District; $5,000 from Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District; $5,000 from Ventura County Air Pollution Control District; and $2,500 from Placer County Air Pollution Control District. In addition to the $22,500, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District will be contributing $11,000 through a contract that they will be administering separately from the AQMD’s contract. The existing Jones and Stokes contract has sufficient funding to cover the AQMD’s contribution to this current upgrade.

Proposal

Recognize and appropriate $22,500 revenue from other air pollution control agencies in California and amend the Jones & Stokes Contract #02319 to add $22,500 for the upgrade to the URBEMIS2002 model, bringing the total contract funding to $72,500.

Fiscal Impacts

Funds to amend Jones and Stokes Contract #02319 to add $22,500 will be funded through revenue received from other air pollution control districts. No additional funds are requested for AQMD’s contribution.

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