BOARD MEETING DATE: November 3, 2006
AGENDA NO. 20

Administrative Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Administrative Committee met Friday, October 13, 2006, and reviewed the proposed agenda for the November 3, 2006, Board meeting.  The Committee also discussed various issues detailed in the Committee report.  The next Administrative Committee meeting is scheduled on Thursday, November 9, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. in Conference Room CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

S. Roy Wilson, Vice Chair
Administrative Committee

Attendance:  Present via videoconference was Vice Chair Roy Wilson.  Members present at AQMD were Jane Carney, Ronald Loveridge, and Dennis Yates.  Chair William Burke was absent.

ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS:

1. Board Members’ Concerns:  Ms. Carney requested Sam Atwood, Media Office Manager, to bring in new and appropriate ideas for PSAs and the 1-800-CUT-SMOG number to the November 9 Administrative Committee meeting.  Mayor Loveridge requested that the Draft 2007 AQMP Plan schedule of Committee briefings and opportunities for public input, including workshops, be provided to the Members for consideration at the November 9 Administrative Committee meeting.
    
2. Chairman’s Report of Approved Travel:  None.
    
3. Approval of Compensation for Board Member Assistant(s):  Member Carney is requesting approval of Shelly Bullard as a new Board Consultant effective October 2, 2006.  Ms. Bullard and Esther Hays will share the contract amount.  Moved by Yates; seconded by Carney; unanimously approved.
    
4. Report of Approved Out-of-Country Travel:  Supervisor Wilson stated that Matt Miyasato will be traveling to Yokohama, Japan to attend the 22^nd International Battery, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition (EVS-22) in October.

NOVEMBER AGENDA ITEMS:

5. Establish Board Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2007:  Elaine Chang, Deputy Executive Officer/Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources, stated that this item is an annual schedule of Board meetings for 2007, which also includes the Administrative Committee meetings, with the August Board meeting going dark.  Ms. Carney requested that the July 6 Board meeting be moved to July 13 to accommodate the July 4^th holiday.  Vice Chair Wilson directed staff to revise the schedule accordingly.  Moved by Loveridge; seconded by Carney; unanimously approved.
    
6. Approve Expenditure of Funds Designate for Permit Streamlining in AQMD's FY 2006-07 Adopted Budget:  Mohsen Nazemi, Assistant DEO/Engineering & Compliance, stated this item relates to AQMD's FY 2006-07 budget approved at the June 9 Board meeting.  As part of the fee rule changes, staff committed to include a designation of $2 million allocated for Permit Streamlining in FY 2006-07 AQMD budget.  Staff is requesting approval to appropriate $865,000 for FY 2006-07 to cover salary & benefits to hire two additional permanent Permit Processing Engineers, one permanent System Analyst, and four temporary engineers and two temporary clerical staff for a 6-month period to improve the efficiency of processing permits.  In addition, $335,000 will be allocated to systems enhancements to be targeted for Engineering & Compliance in coordination with Information Management to contract with outside software consultants to revise the permitting system to be more efficient.  The balance will remain for funding of the two permanent Permitting Engineers and to fund the System Analyst for the first half of FY 2007-08.  In FY 2007-08 Information Management will transfer funds from its temporary services budget into salaries and benefits account for the cost of the Systems Analyst position, to retain the individual permanently to continue working on systems development including permitting systems.   Moved by Carney; seconded by Yates; unanimously approved.
    
7. Appropriate Funds for PAMS Program, Appropriate and Reallocate Funds for PM2.5 Program, Recognize and Appropriate Funds for Enhanced Particulate Monitoring Program, and Issue Purchase Orders, RFQs and RFP:  Henry Hogo, Assistant DEO/Technology Advancement Office, stated that staff is requesting approval for the budgets for the U.S. EPA PAMS  and PM2.5 air monitoring program.  In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken over the special particulate monitoring program that had been funded by the U.S. EPA.  U.S. DHS is providing funding of about $3.1 million for an expanded particulate monitoring program.  Mayor Loveridge asked what the Department of Homeland Security is doing with this program, and Mr. Hogo responded that particulate samplers are placed at various locations (such as LAX, ports, and special events as the Rose Parade).  The samples are collected by AQMD staff and taken to a mailing center, then mailed to a laboratory.  AQMD does not conduct the testing.  Moved by Yates; seconded by Carney; unanimously approved.
    
8. Execute Contract for Landscape Maintenance at Diamond Bar Headquarters:  Eudora Tharp, Assistant DEO/Administrative & Human Resources, stated that the current landscape maintenance contract expires December 31, 2006.  Staff received four responsive bids and requests approval to execute a contract with Tropical Plaza Nursery, Inc., the current landscape company and the top-rated, lowest-cost bidder.  Tropical has agreed to implement new environmentally friendly requirements.    Moved by Carney; seconded by Yates; unanimously approved.
    
9. Add Positions in FY 2006-07 Budget:  Ms. Tharp stated that, in addition to two inspectors and a Senior Staff Specialist being added for the Carl Moyer field audit program, staff is requesting adding two inspector positions for enhanced chrome plating enforcement.  The cost for this fiscal year is $345,170, with the fully burdened cost for the Moyer positions, including one-time purchase of vehicles and laptop computers, to be paid from Moyer funds, for a net budgetary impact of $145,167.  Moved by Yates; seconded by Carney; unanimously approved.
    
10. Authorize Purchase of Ingres Relational Database Management System Software Support:  Chris Marlia, Assistant DEO/Information Management, stated this is a standard item to request approval to continue support for maintenance of the corporate database through the CLASS System.  Moved by Yates; seconded by Carney; unanimously approved.
     
11. Execute Contract for Biennial Audit of Motor Vehicle Registration Revenues for FYs 2003-04 and 2004-05:  Rick Pearce, Chief Financial Officer, stated this item is to approve a firm to do a bi-annual audit of the AB2766 program.  Even though both firms are highly qualified, the Executive Officer would like some fresh eyes to conduct the audit, as suggested by the Committee members at a previous meeting, and would like to select Simpson & Simpson.  Staff is requesting a contract be executed with Simpson & Simpson, which did not conduct the audit last year but did the previous year.  Mr. Pearce explained that the audit is to review, under staff's purview, MSRC and 150 cities who receive this money.  Mayor Yates stated it was his impression that the mayors of San Bernardino County were not aware of AB2766 moneys allocated to them or how such moneys were to be used.  Mr. Pearce stated that a check is received by the local municipalities every three months.  Mayor Loveridge asked that this item be agendized by elected officials of each city, on what is spent and what is the process of approval for these expenditures.  Ms. Carney asked if it was discussed at the Council level.  Mayor Loveridge stated it would be a good way for the community to get involved on determine how the money is spent in each city.  Mr. Pearce stated that AQMD's Transportation Unit has conducted outreach via letters with the cities to encourage this involvement.  Mayor Loveridge recommended this issue be raised to the elected officials' level because it is in their budgets.  Dr. Chang explained that a letter was sent to each city under the Governing Board's signature to council members to encourage them to elevate their AB2766 decision-making process and highlight their past expenditures by projects.  Ms. Carney suggested asking that a letter be signed by the Governing Board Member in their region and sent requesting how the city plans to use the money, and then the Committee would consider if their suggestions are an appropriate means of spending it.  Anupom Ganguli, Assistant Deputy Executive Officer/Public Affairs, stated, that at the direction of the Administrative Committee members two years ago, his staff attended council meetings where lukewarm receptions were received.  Dr. Ganguli mentioned that his staff can repeat this process again in all the regions during the upcoming scheduled AQMP outreach meetings.  Vice Chair Wilson recommended that this effort should be accomplished to re-energize elected officials' efforts.  Moved by Wilson; seconded by Loveridge; unanimously approved.
     
12. Ethnic Community Advisory Group Minutes for July 12, 2006:  Attached for information is the Ethnic Community Advisory Group minutes for the June 14, 2006 meeting. 
     
13. Local Government & Small Business Advisory Group Minutes for May 12, 2006:  Attached for information is the Local Government & Small Business Advisory Group minutes for the May 12, 2006 meeting. 
     
14. Review November 3, 2006, Governing Board Agenda:   Ms. Carney and Mayor Loveridge requested a more detailed review on control measures for the Draft 2007 AQMP and a one-page summary of key issues and fact sheet.  Staff responded that monthly reports will be provided at the Mobile Source and Stationary Source Committee meetings between now and the Board meeting when approval will be requested.  Moved by Carney; seconded by Yates; unanimously approved.
     
15. Other Business:  None.
     
16. Public Comment:  None.

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 a.m.

Attachments (EXE 100kb)

Ethnic Community Advisory Group Minutes for July 12, 2006
Local Government & Small Business Advisory Group Minutes for May 12, 2006