BOARD MEETING DATE: March 7, 2008
AGENDA NO. 31

PROPOSAL:

Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee

SYNOPSIS:

Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s February 21, 2008 meeting. The MSRC’s regularly scheduled meeting for the month of March has been canceled. Therefore, the next meeting is Thursday, April 17, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. in Room CC8.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file.

Michael D. Antonovich
AQMD Representative on MSRC

Alternative Fuel School Bus Incentive Program

The MSRC set aside $1.2 million under its FY 2007-08 Work Program for an Alternative Fuel School Bus Incentive Program and released a Request for Qualifications to seek qualified vendors to administer the Program. Eligible school buses must be configured with a factory installed, dedicated natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas engine. Through the vendors the MSRC will offer buydown incentives to qualifying school districts up to $60,000 for Type D school buses. At its February 21, 2008 meeting, the MSRC unanimously awarded two contracts in the amount of $300,000 each, one to A-Z Bus Sales and another to BusWest. A-Z Bus Sales offers Bluebird natural gas school buses and BusWest offers Thomas Built natural gas and propane school buses. The AQMD Board will consider these two contract awards as part of the FY 2007-08 Work Program at its March 7, 2008 meeting. The remaining $600,000 will be used to augment the vendor contracts based on sales performance, subject to approval by the MSRC and AQMD Board.

Off-Road Diesel Retrofit “Showcase” Program

The MSRC requires the prominent placement of a decal on any vehicles purchased, retrofitted, or repowered using MSRC funding. The MSRC, CARB and the AQMD have worked together to create a special vehicle decal for the off-road construction equipment to be retrofitted under the MSRC’s Off-Road Construction Diesel Retrofit “Showcase” Program. The MSRC unanimously approved funding for production of 300 decals in an amount up to $1,600 from their Administrative Budget. The goal of the “Showcase” Program is ultimately to verify on-road retrofit devices in off-road construction equipment applications and assist CARB with implementing its In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation.

Received and Approved Final Report

At its February 21, 2008 meeting, the MSRC received and approved one final report from Clean Energy for Contract #MS06042, which provided $15,000 for installation of a limited public access CNG station in Baldwin Park. 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. The MSRC plans to eventually include complete final reports in the electronic library of its website at http://www.cleantransportationfunding.org. In the interim summary reports can be accessed on the website.

Contract Modification Requests

At its February 21, 2008 meeting, the MSRC considered five contract modification requests and took unanimous action, as follows:

1. For Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Contract #PT06014, which provides $200,000 to install 45 diesel after-treatment devices, approval of an extension of the installation deadline from 12 months to approximately 22 months (December 31, 2008);
2. For City of Inglewood Contract #ML06039, which provides $50,000 to modify their maintenance facility to accommodate CNG vehicles, approval of a ten-month no-cost contractual term extension;
3. For City of Cathedral City Contract #ML06033, which provides $125,000 towards the purchase of five heavy-duty CNG vehicles, approval of a one-year no-cost contractual term extension;
4. For City of Santa Monica Contract #ML06025, which provides $325,000 towards the purchase of 13 heavy-duty CNG vehicles; and
5. For Westport Fuel Systems Contracts #MS06043X and #MS07003, which provides $2,000,000 and $1,500,000, respectively, for advanced natural gas engine incentives, approval to modify both contracts to make the incentives available for not only purchases but also leases; the AQMD Board will consider this last modification at its March 7, 2008 Board meeting.

Contracts Administrator’s Report

The MSRC's AB 2766 Contracts Administrator provides a written status report on all open contracts from FY 1999-00 through the present. The Contracts Administrator’s Report for the month of February is attached for your information.

Attachment (pdf 206 kb)
Contract Administrator’s Report