BOARD MEETING DATE: April 4, 2008
AGENDA NO. 4

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Authorize the Chairman to amend a contract with Neuton Lawn Mower Company to purchase 750 additional cordless electric lawn mowers for an amount not to exceed $136,875. The total amount of the contract will not exceed $866,875 from the AQIP Special Revenue Fund.
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The Rule 2202 Air Quality Investment Program (AQIP) allows subject employers to participate by electing to invest in an AQMD-administered restricted fund. Investment can be either $60 annually per employee reporting to the worksite during the 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. peak window, or $125 triennially per employee. The restricted monies are to be used by the AQMD to fund proposals that achieve mobile source emission reductions that would otherwise have been achieved by implementing a rideshare program.

Upon registering under this option and submitting the designated investment amount, an employer is considered to be in compliance with the Rule and there is no need for the employer to take further action to reduce mobile source emissions. The collected monies are used to fund alternative mobile source emission reduction strategies that reduce mobile source emissions at a more cost-effective rate which could potentially result in greater overall emission reductions.

At its November 2007 meeting, the Board approved the amendment to the contract with Neuton Lawn Mower Company to purchase 4,000 cordless electric lawn mowers and conduct the 2008 Lawn Mower Exchange Program. Seven sites were selected for this exchange. Individuals can register both online and by phone. Allowing for the no-shows, over 5000 registrations have been confirmed to date. There is still a great demand for these zero emission mowers. The manufacturer has guaranteed the production and supply of 750 additional mowers in a timely manner to conduct the 2008 Lawn Mower Exchange Program.
 

Proposal

Registration to the 2008 Lawn Mower Exchange Program started on Mach 18, 2008. Except for one site, the program sold out within ten days. The following table lists the sites and the number of mowers booked.
 

The manufacturer has guaranteed the production and supply of the 750 additional mowers in a timely manner. They will be distributed proportionately among all the event sites.
 

Sole-Source Justification

Section VII.C.2 of the Policy for Clean Air Incentive Contracts identifies provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision C.2.d.: Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interest of the AQMD. This request for sole source award is made under provision C.2.c(3): the contractor has ownership of key assets required for project performance.

Benefits to AQMD

The purchase of the additional 750 electric mowers will result in the following annual emission reductions, for a period of four years, which will be applied towards the AQIP emission reduction target for the second half of CY 2007.

Resource Impacts

Sufficient funds from the second semi-annual period of CY 2007 AQIP of $136,875 would be used to cover the costs to make this purchase and to conduct the 2008 Lawn Mower Exchange Program. In addition, the resulting emission reductions would be applied towards meeting the AQIP emission reduction target for the second semi-annual period of CY 2007.