BOARD MEETING DATE: February 5, 2010
AGENDA NO. 8

PROPOSAL:

Execute Contract to Develop Truck Outreach Centers and Execute Sole Source Contract to Implement Education Component of Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program

SYNOPSIS:

As part of the Chairmans Helping Hand Initiative, the Board issued an RFP in September to develop two education and outreach centers for truck owners/operators to provide information regarding advanced engine technologies and fuel efficiency.  This action is to execute a contract with Gladstein, Neandross & Associates in an amount not to exceed $150,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.  In addition, the AQMD has been successful in receiving a grant from DOE American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program for trucks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  As part of the award, $250,000 has been allocated towards implementation of an education component and materials for the education and outreach centers for truck owners/operators.  This action is to reimburse the AQMD General Fund from Fund 81 for administrative costs to implement the Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program in an amount not to exceed $300,000.  This action is also to execute a sole source contract with the Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy Network of the California Community Colleges for the education component of this program in an amount not to exceed $250,000.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, January 22, 2010, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Authorize the Chairman of the Board to execute a contract with Gladstein, Neandross & Associates in an amount not to exceed $150,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund to develop and implement two customer centers to provide education and outreach to truck owners and operators.
   
2. Authorize the Chairman of the Board to execute a sole source contract with Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy (ATTE) Network of California Community Colleges for the education component of the Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Initiative, in an amount not to exceed $250,000 from the Prop 1B Goods Movement Fund (81).
   
3. Authorize the Executive Officer to reimburse the AQMD General Fund from the Proposition 1B Funding - Goods Movement (Fund 81) for administrative costs such as Salaries & Employee Benefits, Indirect Costs and Travel necessary to implement the Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program in an amount not to exceed $300,000, as approved in the DOE ARRA grant award.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

At its February 6, 2009 meeting, the Board approved a general work plan for the Chairmans Helping Hand Initiative for 2009.  The work plan included the co-sponsorship of an education/training element and public/private partnerships for new technology installation and maintenance.  The objective of this work plan is to ensure that available new low- and zero-emission technologies are properly installed and maintained after their introduction.  A goal of the work plan is to build upon the AQMDs past partnerships with the community college system and other local technology education providers to offer training programs in areas of alternative fuel vehicle maintenance, retrofit pollution control system installation, and other air pollution related automobile repair.  In addition, the work plan will establish customer service centers for owners/operators of Class 8 line-haul and short-haul trucks in at least two major truck stop locations, one in the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach area and a second in the Inland Empire.  The outreach centers will represent many participating brands of trucks and the selected vendor will help trucking companies select equipment and provide information on low-interest loans, government buydown incentive programs, and further education on advanced control technologies operation and maintenance.

This project addresses the component of the Chairman's Helping Hand Initiative that provides two customer service centers for heavy-duty truck owners and operators, one to be located in the Port area and one within the Inland Empire region.  At its September 11, 2009 meeting, the Board approved release of RFP # P2010-05 for development and implementation of the customer service centers.  By the close of the RFP deadline, two proposals were received.

At its September 2009 meeting, the Board recognized revenues of up to $9.4 million for the Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program.  The Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program will replace at a minimum 180 diesel drayage trucks operating at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with LNG trucks.  As part of the DOE award, $250,000 has been allocated towards implementation of an education component that is proposed to be used for the truck outreach centers.

Outreach

In accordance with AQMDs Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP/RFQ 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 Air Basin.

Additionally, potential bidders may have been notified utilizing AQMDs own electronic listing of certified minority vendors.  Notice of the RFP/RFQ was mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, and placed on the Internet at AQMDs website (http://www.aqmd.gov).  Information was also available on AQMDs bidders 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Selection Process

Two proposals were received in response to the RFP, a proposal from Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), and a proposal from The Solis Group.  Pursuant to the Procurement Policy and Procedure, the RFP identified 70 possible points for the technical score and 30 possible points for the cost score.  Within the 30 points for cost, the proposal offering the greatest amount of cost share received the maximum points and the other proposal would receive a score that was prorated accordingly.  A panel comprised of four members, one each from the Port of Long Beach, End Oil/Communities for Clean Ports, San Bernardino County Association of Governments, and the AQMD (four males; three Caucasians and one Pacific Islander) evaluated the two proposals.  The Solis Group did not receive a minimum technical score of 56 points and is not considered further in the process.  The results of the panel evaluation are provided below.

Proposal

Based on the panels evaluation, staff recommends awarding a contract to GNA to establish two customer service center kiosks for truck owners and operators, to provide a toll-free hotline staffed by experts who can respond to inquiries generated through the kiosks, and to develop and maintain a supporting website.  The hotline will be staffed by bilingual individuals with knowledge of the applicable truck regulations and technologies.  Staff is proposing that the DOE funding be used to execute a sole source contract with ATTE to develop materials that will be distributed at the kiosks and through the hotline, potentially including video materials that could be viewed at kiosks.

GNA has worked with AQMD on several technical and incentive implementation programs.  GNA assisted AQMD with the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor program, which established a public-private heavy-duty, clean alternative fuel corridor in the South Coast Air Basin.  GNA also worked with AQMD on the Leadership Cities program, the AQMDs effort to help local governments share information and experiences with emission reductions technologies and strategies.  GNA helped to develop the AQMDs Carl Moyer Program marketing plan, facilitated the implementation of AQMDs Surplus Off-road Opt-in for NOx Program, and partnered with AQMD on Proposition 1B outreach and project implementation.

The cost of the contract with GNA shall not exceed $150,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.  For this project, GNA proposes the construction of two freestanding informational kiosks, one to be located at the TA Travel Center truck stop at the junction of Interstates 10 and 15 in Ontario, and the other at the newly opened Clean Energy LNG fueling station located at the Port of Long Beach.  These two locations are in some of the highest traffic areas in the South Coast Air Basin for private Class 8 trucks and for port drayage trucks and are in the heart of the Inland Empire trucking industry and in the heart of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The kiosks to be provided by GNA will be self-contained, secure structures with large bulletin type displays of information in four categories:  technology, educational opportunities, funding, and regulatory information.  The kiosks will act as information conduits to initiate truck drivers on the path towards obtaining the information needed.  The kiosks will introduce drivers to the resources at their disposal and will provide contacts, phone numbers, websites, brochures, and flyers, all designed to take the drivers knowledge of a particular subject to the next level.  Truck drivers can then call a toll-free hotline that is staffed through GNA.  Questions will be answered by a knowledgeable staff member in a one-on-one format.  Through GNA, a website will be available 24 hours a day.  All of these elements will combine to form a comprehensive package of information to educate drayage truck owners and operators on applicable regulations and various approved emission control technologies in-use and projected to be in-use, and operation and maintenance elements associated with each technology.

ATTE will develop and provide the information brochures and flyers that will be available at the kiosks, potentially including video materials that could be viewed at the kiosks.  All materials will be available in both English and in Spanish.  In addition to preparing the educational materials, ATTE will provide educational training workshops that will be coordinated with the local Clean Cities Coalitions.  The cost of the sole source contract with ATTE shall not exceed $250,000.

Benefits to AQMD

The AQMP relies upon the accelerated implementation of advanced technologies within Southern California to achieve federal and state ambient air quality standards and to achieve further reductions in air toxic exposure.  There are several requirements applicable to drayage trucks operating at the Ports.  The Ports Clean Trucks Program calls for drayage truck owners to scrap and replace trucks working at the ports, with the assistance of a port-sponsored grant or loan subsidy.  Beginning October 1, 2008, pre-1989 trucks were banned.  The program progressively bans all trucks that do not meet 2007 emission standards.  The CARB Port Drayage Truck Regulation is part of the States ongoing efforts to reduce PM and NOx emissions from diesel-fueled engines and improve air quality associated with goods movement.  Additional relevant CARB regulations include:  In-Use On-Road Diesel-Fueled Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles, Idling Regulation, and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Programs.

Heavy-duty diesel trucks that support port and drayage operations in Southern California are among the oldest and most polluting trucks on the road.  Owners and operators of these vehicles would benefit from outreach centers that provide information on the various regulations impacting drayage trucks and the vehicle and incentive options available to meet these regulations.  In addition, since many truck owners and operators communicate in Spanish and use English as their second language, the bilingual feature of the kiosk centers will prove valuable in this outreach effort.  The customer service centers will also serve to educate drayage truck owners and operators of the various approved emission control technologies in-use and projected to be in-use, and operation and maintenance elements associated with each technology.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII.B.2. of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d (8):  Research and development efforts with educational institutions or nonprofit organizations. The sole source contract is with ATTE. Specifically, this contract is for the development of educational materials to support the customer service centers at two major truck stops to provide a resource to current and future drayage truck owner-operators and provide information on the Ports Clean Trucks Program, its objectives, the various incentive and funding opportunities available, and the terms and conditions owner-operators must know to participate in such programs.  Given the efforts to turn over existing trucks to new trucks that are equipped with advanced diesel emission control technologies or operate using alternative fuels, there is a need to educate truck owners on the proper operation and maintenance of these new trucks.

Resource Impacts

The total cost of the proposed project will not exceed $700,000.  Funding not to exceed $150,000 is available from the Clean Fuels Fund for the two customer service kiosks.  Funding is available from the DOE Grant for the Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Drayage Truck Replacement Program in an amount not to exceed $250,000 for the development of materials to support the Kiosks and hotline services and in an amount not to exceed $300,000 for the administrative costs to support the project.