BOARD MEETING DATE: May 2, 2008
AGENDA NO. 28

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Receive and file.

Michael D. Antonovich
AQMD Representative on MSRC
 

Minutes

Minutes from the February 21, 2008, meeting were unanimously approved. They are attached for your information (Attachment 1).
 

Awards for Alternative Fuel Heavy-Duty Engines for On-Road Vehicles

The MSRC released a $1.5 million Program Announcement for the purchase or repower of heavy-duty on-road vehicles with advanced low-emission natural gas engines certified by CARB at or below 0.2 g/bhp-hr NO_x emission level. Maximum per engine incentive under the Program is $30,000. The Program included a geographic minimum per county of $200,000 and funds would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications received the first day would be considered equal and funding would be pro-rated if first-day applications exceed the funding target. If each county did not request their full geographic minimum by the closing date, the funds could be used for applications from other counties on a first-come, first-served basis. At its April 17, 2008 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved awards for nine applications totaling $1,499,998 under the FY 2007-08 Work Program. The AQMD Board will consider these contracts at its May 2, 2008 meeting. There is also a backup list of eligible projects totaling nearly $11 million. While the MSRC may bring additional awards forward if funding becomes available, they are also working with the AQMD to determine if some of the eligible projects can be awarded under the Carl Moyer Program.

Awards for Alternative Fuel Heavy-Duty Engines for Cargo Handling Equipment

The MSRC released a $1 million Program Announcement for the purchase of heavy-duty off-road cargo handling equipment equipped with natural gas engines certified by CARB at a NO_x emissions level at or below 0.2 g/bhp-hr. Maximum per under the Program is $40,000. The Program included a geographic minimum per county of $80,000 and funds would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications received the first day would be considered equal and funding would be pro-rated if first-day applications exceed the funding target. If each county did not request their full geographic minimum by the closing date, the funds could be used for applications from other counties on a first-come, first-served basis. At its April 17, 2008 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved awards in the amount of $500,000 each to two applicants—California Cartage Company and United Parcel Service--under the FY 2007-08 Work Program. The AQMD Board will consider these contracts at its May 2, 2008 meeting. There is no backup list for this Program.

CNG School Bus Incentives for Private Pupil Transportation Providers

Under its FY 2006-07 Work Program, the MSRC set aside $4 million for CNG school bus buydown incentives for private pupil transportation providers. A number of awards have been made already, and the MSRC subsequently reallocated a small portion of the funding to public schools, resulting in $2,237,420 remaining available for award to private pupil transportation providers. At its April 17, 2008 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved an award to AeroCoach Transportation in the amount of $60,000 for one CNG school bus and an award to First Student in the amount of $183,000 for five CNG school buses. The AQMD Board will consider the above contracts at its May 2, 2008 meeting.

Augmenting Awards for Off-Road Diesel Retrofit “Showcase” Program

The MSRC partnered with CARB to conduct a broad-based demonstration of diesel emission control systems on heavy-duty off-road diesel construction equipment. The MSRC awarded contracts totaling $3.6 million, and the AQMD joined in with nearly $1.25 million to demonstrate combined NOx and PM reducing technologies, to allocate funding to 18 fleets across 230 vehicle types. Subsequently, one retrofit device manufacturer had to withdraw from the program, requiring re-matching of vehicle types to alternative demonstration devices, which in turn resulted in increased costs; and it was discovered a few vehicle types were overlooked in the data entry process. As a result, at the MSRC’s April 17, 2008 meeting, they unanimously approved augmenting awards to four participating fleets in the amount of $128,019. The AQMD Board will consider the augmented awards at its May 2, 2008 meeting.

Continued Maintenance and Hosting as well as Migration and Upgrade of BikeMetro Website

As an element of their FY 2001-02 Work Program, the MSRC co-funded the development of a web-based bicycle routing and mapping system. The BikeMetro website has been quite successful and continues to be in demand by the bicycling community. In late 2005 the MSRC was notified that its contractor GeoPerception Inc. was no longer a business entity, but had arranged for Surf Consulting to assume the responsibility of providing the five years of website operation required by the MSRC, which expired in March 2008. As a result, the MSRC realized it needed to consider long-term options for the BikeMetro website. At its August 17, 2006 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved a sole-source contract with the Riverside County Transportation Commission in the amount of $200,000 to upgrade and migrate the BikeMetro website as a feature of the broader CommuteSmart.info regional website. This contract award did not go forward to the AQMD Board immediately after MSRC approval because various issues were being worked out. In fact, the migration cannot occur for several more months. The MSRC decided the only way to continue operation of the website without interruption was to continue maintenance and hosting through Surf Consulting in the amount of $400 per month and to do so as a sub-task of its existing Technical Advisor’s contract. Therefore, the MSRC unanimously approved a modification to its Technical Advisor’s contract to allow for this sub-task on a month-to-month basis until the site migrates to CommuteSmart.info. The total value of the Technical Advisor’s contract will not change. So that a contract is in place when the migration is ready to begin in late 2008 or early 2009, the MSRC is now bringing forward the sole-source contract as well as the contract modification to continue maintenance and hosting. The AQMD Board will consider both at its May 2, 2008 meeting.

Appointment of Air Pollution Control Expert to MSRC’s Technical Advisory Committee

The MSRC unanimously appointed Vince Mastrosimone as one of two air pollution control experts on the MSRC’s Technical Advisory Committee (MSRC-TAC). Mr. Mastrosimone was previously on the MSRC-TAC for a six-year period as the Los Angeles County Cities representative; during this period he also served as the MSRC-TAC’s vice-chair for two terms. Mr. Mastrosimone has more than 30 years experience in public service, 20 years of which were in the capacity of Director of Public Works for the City of Covina. He is currently the Director of Public Works for Seal Beach. Mr. Mastrosimone has worked on numerous clean air programs during his professional life. The second air pollution control expert position remains vacant.

Received and Approved Final Reports

At its April 17, 2008 meeting, the MSRC received and approved two final reports, as follows:

1. Clean Energy Contract #MS06049, which provided $250,000 to install a public acess CNG station at Long Beach Police Department; and
2. Varner Construction, Inc. Contract #MS05035, which provided $334,624 to repower one scraper, four water pulls, and one rock truck.

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 April 17, 2008 meeting, the MSRC considered six contract modification requests and took unanimous action, as follows:

1. For City of Rancho Cucamonga Contract #ML06032, which provides $237,079 to install a CNG station and purchase two CNG dump trucks, approval of a 11-month no-cost contract term extension;
2. For City of Whittier Contract #ML04012, which provides $153,333 towards the purchase of three medium-duty and two heavy-duty CNG vehicles and installation of a CNG station, approval of a six-month no-cost contract term extension;
3. For City of Cathedral City Contract #MS03069, which provides $22,953 towards installation of wind fencing, approval of a seven-month no-cost contract term extension;
4. For Riverside County Transportation Commission Contract #MS04055, which provides $225,000 to enhance the region’s rideshare database system, approval of a replacement contract because the original contract expired before a modification could be executed; the AQMD Board will consider this replacement contract on May 2, 2008;
5. For City of Glendale Contract #AB01010, which provides $200,000 to install a new CNG station, approval of a 60-day no-cost contract term extension; and
6. For University of California Los Angeles Contract #MS05041, which provides $15,921 to upgrade a CNG station with card reader equipment, approval of a four-month no-cost contract term extension.

Contracts Administrator’s Report

The MSRC's AB 2766 Contracts Administrator provides a written status report on all open contracts from FY 2000-01 through the present. The Contracts Administrator’s Report for the month of April is attached for your information (Attachment 2).

Attachments (exe 277kb)
1) Approved 2/21/08 MSRC Minutes
2) Contract Administrator’s Report