BOARD MEETING DATE: January 6, 2006
AGENDA NO. 5

Amend Existing Contract with Oralia Michel Marketing and Public Relations to develop and implement an Air Quality Institute

SYNPOSIS:

The Environmental Justice Enhancements approved by the Board last year included the conceptual investigation of an Air Quality Institute. This item sets forth a new task order, deliverables, and timelines for the creation of the Air Quality Institute within one year of Board approval for conducting educational outreach to officials, policymakers, and business and community leaders. In addition, a contract amendment with Oralia Michel Marketing & Public Relations (OMMPR) to increase the contract amount by an amount not to exceed $135,000 is proposed. Further details of the work, to be completed in FY 2005-2006, are provided in the attached Task Order and Proposal.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, November 10, 2005 and December 9, 2005, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Approve the attached Task Order under the existing contract with OMMPR and authorize staff to have the consultant and its subcontractor begin work.
2. Authorize the Chairman to execute an amendment to the existing contract OMMPR to increase the current contract in an amount not to exceed $135,000, bring the total contract funding to $635,000.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

In October 2004, the Board approved an Environmental Justice Work Plan for FY 2004-2005, which included among its elements, initial steps toward the creation of an Air Quality Institute to address the educational needs of newly elected and appointed local and state officials, policymakers, and business and community leaders within AQMD. Staff has conducted polling of members of the Environmental Justice Advisory Group for recommendations on implementation issues and identification of partnering organizations and/or training sessions. The Air Quality Institute would disseminate information on air quality, land use planning, economic considerations, and environmental justice issues. The Air Quality Institute would offer half-day courses on general air quality and economic and environmental justice issues, as well as a one-day session of briefings in Sacramento on current and relevant topics to legislators, business and community leaders, and Administration and agency officials. Possible course topics would be health impacts of pollution, air quality impacts upon different receptors, mobile and stationary sources, future state/federal legislative actions and AQMD regulations and policies, future strategies for attaining air quality standards, economic considerations, and issues affecting impacted communities. Possible topics for the one-day session of briefings in Sacramento would be “hot button” issues, such as goods movement, alternative fuel vehicle deployment, and funding initiatives, among others.

Proposal

Following Board approval, initial steps would involve formation of an Advisory Panel, curriculum development for Courses and the one-day session of briefings, identification of instructors, and outreach efforts to officials and business and community leaders. Within the first calendar year, eight courses within the four-county region (two per county, including courses offered in disproportionately impacted areas) and a one-day session of briefings in Sacramento, would be offered by the Air Quality Institute. There would also be a debriefing of the initial offerings by the Institute to determine further refinements and best practices. AQMD staff and the consultant would be involved in ongoing oversight and implementation of the remaining courses offered by Air Quality Institute in its first year.

Staff recommends that the Board approve the attached Task Order as part of its set of ongoing community outreach, education, and environmental justice programs to facilitate implementation of the Board’s clean air goals and objectives. Staff also requests approval to modify the existing contract with OMMPR and their subcontractor Cordoba Corporation to increase the contractual amount to fully fund this Task Order.

OMMPR and Cordoba Corporation have access to personnel and resources with experience in designing educational outreach programs and dealing with local leaders. Staff recommends working with OMMPR and Cordoba Corporation, as previous projects contracted to the group have been delivered on time, within budget, and in a professional manner. The amendment to the existing contract with OMMPR will increase the contract in an amount not to exceed $135,000, bringing the total contract funding to $635,000.

Resource Impacts

Sufficient funds are available in the Public Affairs FY 2005-2006 Budget, Professional and Specialized Services account.

Attachment(s) (EXE 111kb)

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