BOARD MEETING DATE: April 1, 2005
AGENDA NO. 23
Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee
SYNOPSIS:
Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s March 24, 2005 meeting and annual retreat. The MSRC’s next meeting is April 28, 2005, at 1:30 p.m. in Room CC8.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Chung Liu
AQMD Alternate Representative
on the MSRC
Minutes
Minutes from the January 27, 2005 meeting were unanimously approved. They are attached for your information (Attachment 1).
MSRC Annual Off-Site Retreat
The MSRC conducted its annual joint retreat with its Technical Advisory Committee on Thursday, March 24, 2005, at the City of Chino Hills Council Chambers. The MSRC heard presentations on: CARB’s funding priorities and the Governor’s initiatives; regulatory, legislative and relevant state initiatives; transportation and air quality challenges as presented by SCAG; the goals of the California Hydrogen Highway Network; heavy-duty diesels and alternative fuel options; status of light-duty technology and emissions reductions; a review of its 15 years of history, leadership and direction; and some possible options for the future. The MSRC members expressed their preferences for future funding and directed its Technical Advisory Committee to develop a range of options for their consideration.
Award for MSRC Website Development, Hosting and Maintenance
The MSRC has maintained a website for the last five years to disseminate information about its mission and funding programs as well as act as an outreach tool. Although the current contract for hosting and maintenance was recently extended through December 31, 2005, the MSRC believes the website needs a fresh, new look and additional functionality. The MSRC set aside $75,000 for website development, hosting and maintenance, and released an RFP to solicit for these services. Twenty-one proposals were received by the closing date, and the top six ranked proposals were interviewed. At its March 24, 2005 meeting, the MSRC unanimously awarded a contract to Haaland Internet Productions (also known as HiP Design) in the amount of $61,685 for website development, hosting and maintenance services for a two-year period beginning July 1, 2005 and ending June 30, 2007. The award included two additional two-year options for continued hosting and maintenance at $3,600 per year or a total of $14,400, to be exercised at the MSRC’s discretion. The funding for the initial contract and both two-year options will be allocated as part of the FY 2004-05 Work Program. The AQMD Board will consider this contract award at its April 1, 2005 meeting.
Sole-Source Awards to Implement CNG Home Refueling Unit Buydown Program
The FY 2003-04 Work Program included a commitment of $200,000 for a CNG Home Refueling Appliances Buydown Program. This program was based on the home refueling unit under development by FuelMaker Corporation, in cooperation with American Honda, and cost-shared by the AQMD, and the availability of CNG vehicles to the average consumer. FuelMaker anticipates producing 500 units in the spring for consumer sale. Although the original intent was to offer a $500 incentive per unit to encourage consumers to purchase CNG vehicles, the AQMD staff proposed (contingent upon AQMD Board approval) to match the MSRC’s incentive if the MSRC incentive was increased to $1,000 for an incentive per unit of $2,000 for a total of 400 units. The MSRC accepted the offer and awarded a $300,000 sole-source contract to American Honda for the lease of the home refueling units and $100,000 to FuelMaker for the sell of the units. The units will be available to both new CNG vehicle buyers and existing CNG owners. The $1,000 MSRC incentive is contingent upon the AQMD’s matching incentive, up to 400 units. The MSRC had initially allocated $200,000 from the FY 2003-04 Work Program for implementation of the Program. To offer the incentive per unit at $1,000 instead of $500, the MSRC allocated an additional $200,000 from turnback funds. The AQMD Board will consider this contract award at its April 1, 2005 meeting.
Augmented Award for CNG School Bus Buydown Program
The MSRC allocated $1 million for a CNG School Bus Incentives Program as part of the FY 2004-05 Work Program. To implement the program, the MSRC awarded three sole-source contracts to A-Z Bus Sales, California Bus Sales, and BusWest. These vendors had previously qualified under a Request for Quotes process to implement a similar MSRC program in previous years. Initially each vendor was awarded $240,000, while the remaining $280,000 was retained to augment the vendor contracts based on sales performance, subject to review and approval by the MSRC. The AQMD Board approved these sole-source awards on October 1, 2004. Subsequent to this action, the MSRC awarded an additional $180,000 to California Bus Sales to ensure all school districts which had placed an order with them would receive the $60,000 incentive for full-size Type D buses. However, A-Z Bus Sales also requested additional funds totaling $360,000 to fulfill orders placed by the Colton Joint Unified School District for six CNG full-size buses, contingent upon receiving the MSRC’s $60,000 buydown. Since the MSRC had the authority to augment the three vendor contracts based on sales performance utilizing the $280,000 initially uncommitted, and California Bus Sales received $180,000 of these funds, the MSRC took action to add additional monies to the FY 2004-05 CNG School Bus Program and awarded an additional $360,000 to A-Z Bus Sales. This action requires AQMD Board approval because it exceeds the original $1 million approved as part of the MSRC’s FY 2004-05 Work Program. The AQMD Board will consider this contract modification for additional funds at its April 1, 2005 meeting.
Received and Approved Final Reports
The MSRC unanimously received and approved two final reports, as follows:
1) SunLine Transit Agency, Contract #AB01028, which provided $175,038 towards the purchase of six heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicles; and 2) CR&R, Inc., Contract #AB02012, which provided $315,000 towards the purchase of ten LNG trucks and construction of an LNG refueling station.
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 four contract modification requests and took unanimous action, as follows:
- For City of Baldwin Park, Contract #ML04014, which provides $63,350 towards the purchase of two CNG pickups and installation of two CNG stations, approval to change the site location for one refueling station so both systems will be located at the City’s Maintenance Yard;
- For Clean Energy Fuels Corporation, Contract #AB00034, which provides $750,000 for the construction of one LNG and two CNG refueling stations, approval of a no-cost, four-month contractual term extension;
- For City of Mission Viejo, Contract #ML03021, which provides $75,085 towards the purchase of three CNG pickup trucks and a CNG refueling station, approval of a no-cost, six-month contractual term extension; and
- For City of Costa Mesa, Contract #ML03020, which provides $68,500 towards the purchase of three medium-duty CNG trucks and one CNG refueling station, approval of a no-cost, six-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).
- Approved January 27, 2005 Minutes
- Contract Administrator Report
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