BOARD MEETING DATE: February 5, 2010
AGENDA NO. 4
PROPOSAL:
Approve Additional Funds and Amend Grants for School Bus Replacements
SYNOPSIS:
At its December 5, 2008 and July 10, 2009 meetings, the Board approved Proposition 1B awards to public school districts to replace pre-1987 school buses with new alternative fuel school buses. Under CARB’s program guidelines, school districts are required to provide a local match of $25,000 for each new school bus purchased. Due to the economic downturn and school budget cuts, school districts are unable to provide their local match funds. To help alleviate this burden, these actions are to provide an additional $10,000 per bus as local match to public school districts, in an amount not to exceed $2.85 million from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund; and also to allow the Los Angeles Unified School District to use up to $2.6 million of its CNG infrastructure funds awarded on December 5, 2008, towards the required match funds for school bus purchases.
COMMITTEE:
Technology, January 22, 2010, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
A. Authorize the Chairman to amend the following grants with the addition of up to $250,000, to partially substitute a portion of public school districts’ $25,000 per bus local match for replacement of 25 school buses with new CNG buses from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds (Fund 80):
1. Azusa Unified School District #G09206 with addition of $20,000 for replacement of two pre-1987 school buses;
2. Chaffey Joint Union High School District #G09215 with addition of $20,000 for replacement of two pre-1987 school buses;
3. Chino Valley Unified School District #G09216 with addition of $70,000 for replacement of seven pre-1987 school buses;
4. Jurupa Unified School District #G09214 with addition of $10,000 for replacement of one pre-1987 school buses;
5. Long Beach Unified School District #G09207 with addition of $90,000 for replacement of nine pre-1987 school buses;
7. Redlands Unified School District #G09217 with addition of $10,000 for replacement of one pre-1987 school bus; and
8. Westminster School District #G09213 with addition of $30,000 for replacement of three pre-1987 school buses.
B. Authorize the Chairman to execute a grant with Los Angeles Unified School District to include:
The addition of $2.6 million from Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds (Fund 80) to partially substitute a portion of their $25,000 per bus local match for 260 pre-1987 school buses; and
The use of up to $2.6 million of its $3.64 million infrastructure award, funded using Carl Moyer Program AB 923 (Fund 80) monies, approved on December 5, 2008, towards partially covering the local match requirement for the purchase of 260 CNG buses.
C. Authorize the Executive Officer, if requested by a school, to modify an existing grant agreement to allow for the use, up to $14,000 per bus of fueling infrastructure funds to partially cover the school’s local match requirement for the purchase of new CNG buses awarded in December 2008, from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
At its December 5, 2008 and July 10, 2009 meetings, the Board approved the replacement of 297 pre-1987 school buses for new CNG buses with Proposition 1B and AB 923 funds. As required in the Lower-Emission School Bus Program guidelines, school districts are required to provide $25,000 per bus as their local match. However, AB 923 funds are allowed to be used towards all or a portion of schools’ local match. In 2008 and 2009 the AQMD provided Rim of the World Unified School District’s local match, in effect providing full funding for 12 CNG buses. There remain 285 new CNG buses that still require the full local match amount of $25,000 per bus.
Proposal
Given the serious economic situation in California, school districts face substantial budget cuts. Thus school districts have expressed difficulty in meeting the $25,000 per bus local match requirement, even though the remaining 85 percent of the bus cost is paid by the AQMD. CARB allows air districts to use their local Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds to assist school districts in meeting this match.
Staff recommends the Board approve the addition of up to $2.85 million ($10,000 per bus replacement) to partially substitute public school districts’ $25,000 per bus local match for replacement of 285 school buses with new CNG buses as set forth in Table 1, from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds (Fund 80). Staff also recommends the Board approve the execution of a grant with Los Angeles Unified School District which would allow the use of up to $2.6 million of its $3.64 million infrastructure award approved on December 5, 2008, towards partially covering the local match requirement for the purchase of 260 CNG buses. Finally, schools that previously received infrastructure grant funds to complete the installation of upgrades to their CNG refueling station may have surplus funds available. Therefore, staff recommends the Board’s approval to modify any existing award, if requested by a school, to allow the school to use surplus infrastructure funds, if any, to partially cover (up to $14,000 per bus) the school’s local match requirement for the purchase of new CNG buses awarded in December 2008, from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund.
Outreach
In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the original program announcement and inviting bids was published in the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, the San Bernardino Sun, and Riverside County Press Enterprise newspapers to leverage the most cost-effective method of outreach to the entire South Coast Basin. The program announcement was also mailed directly to the Directors of Transportation at public school districts within the AQMD’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, potential bidders may have been notified utilizing AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the program announcement was mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, the State of California Contracts Register website, and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site (http://www.aqmd.gov). Information was also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.
Benefits to AQMD
These awards will assist school districts to successfully implement the Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement Program, which in turn will provide less polluting and safer school transportation for school children and will reduce public exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter emissions. In addition, these awards comply with AB 1390 requirements, such that it would reduce air pollution in low-income, high-diesel and high-PM10 exposure areas as well as enhance the objectives of the Environmental Justice and Children’s Health Initiatives adopted by the Board.
Resource Impacts
The total amount of additional funds for the replacement of school buses shall not exceed $2.85 million from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (Fund 80). Sufficient funds are available in this fund.
Attachment (DOC, 37k)
Table 1: Supplemental Funds to School Bus Replacement Awards Approved in December 2008 & July 2009