BOARD MEETING DATE: January 8, 2010
AGENDA NO. 6
PROPOSAL:
Amend Contract with Cordoba Corporation to Continue Implementation of Air Quality Institute
SYNOPSIS:
Since January 2006, the Board has authorized the implementation of several Air Quality Institute (AQI) programs to disseminate information and educate community, business and industry leaders and elected officials on air quality issues. On June 1, 2007, the Board approved a contract with Cordoba Corporation, with options for two one-year term renewals, upon satisfactory performance, and at the Board's discretion. Targeted audience includes elected officials, city managers and school officials, labor organizations, health-care groups, and other leaders at the local and national level. The current contract expires in December 2009, and this action is to amend the existing contract with Cordoba Corporation to continue implementation of the AQI’s, at a cost not to exceed $135,300, for an additional one-year period.
COMMITTEE:
Administrative, December 11, 2009, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Appropriate $135,300 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Public Affairs
FY 2009-10 Professional and Special Services Account.Authorize the Chairman to amend the existing contract with Cordoba Corporation for the last one-year term extension, beginning January 2010, at a cost not to exceed $135,300.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Since 2006, the Board has authorized the implementation of several Air Quality Institute (AQI) briefings for education and outreach to community organizations, business and industry leaders, and elected officials on air quality issues. In October 2008, the Board authorized the latest series of eight AQI briefings through September 30, 2009, which was supplemented in 2009 by Board action for an additional four AQI meetings to focus on federal and state emission offsets requirements and federal transportation concerns, as well as related health and air quality issues. The present contract with Cordoba Corporation expires in December 2009.
The objective of the AQI is to educate and inform the public, and, in particular, first-tier policy makers, including, but limited to, elected and appointed officials, business and community leaders, editorial boards, media representatives, and faith-based organizations, about relevant air quality policy issues.
During the last year, the AQI was instrumental in disseminating information on the Board’s initiatives and priorities with emphasis on the critical need to reduce mobile source emissions. Several sessions of the AQI were conducted, including one in Washington, DC for transit officials attending the national conference of the American Public Transit Association. The other sessions took place within the AQMD’s jurisdiction with elected officials, faith-based organizations, educators, fire safety officials, and port communities.
The curriculum for the AQI included discussions on ports and goods movement as it relates to air quality impact and solutions; air quality health studies including, MATES III, the USC Children’s Health Study; health effects of diesel exposure; and environmental justice issues. The AQIs have also provided the attendees with information and tools for action necessary to support our clean air mission at the policy level.
In general, each training session consisted of a two to four-hour meeting, focused on an overview of air quality, goods movement, environmental justice, public health issues related to air quality, economic considerations, advanced technology solutions, as well as energy issues and wildfire response. Some sessions also addressed emissions offsets and federal transportation policy impacts on air quality. The training sessions were highly successful. Participants also included federal and state elected officials, education and community leaders and elected officials from local jurisdictions. Discussions at these meetings were at the policy level, extensive and in-depth, leading to many important discussions being established between AQMD staff and important stakeholders.
The AQMD Air Quality Institute has held briefings in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. Many Governing Board members have attended these briefings. Over the four-year long course of the program, 28 briefings were held, delivering our messages to more than 1,000 community leaders across the region. These briefings have led to the establishment of relationships with various organizations and individuals who have been beneficial in helping AQMD move its state and federal policy priorities forward.
Among those attending such briefings have been several hundred local and state elected officials, several dozen school principals and school district officials, hundreds of community leaders and activists, faith leaders, labor leaders, health care professionals, and hundreds of business representatives. In addition, during the past year we have partnered with several state legislators who have co-hosted these briefings.
Over the course of the last four years, the Air Quality Institute briefings have not only provided AQMD the opportunity to educate these individuals, and to build relationships with them and their organizations, but attendees have also alerted AQMD to various air quality issues of concern in their communities or organizations. Thus, the briefings have established a means of engaging in a dialogue with the leadership of the communities served by AQMD.
Proposal
The goal of the AQI is to partner with community leaders, elected officials and stakeholder groups to provide high-level informational and educational briefings with the intent of working together towards mutual public policy goals of importance to AQMD.
The focus of the AQI briefings will continue to be mobile source emissions reductions, goods movement and ports emissions reductions, community-specific air quality issues (such as wildfires), federal transportation and climate change issues as related to AQMD. Such partnerships are intended to facilitate movement towards the Board’s strategic policy objectives as related to air quality, climate change and public health.
Eight (8) AQI meetings, with two (2) in each county within the AQMD’s jurisdiction are proposed, with key leaders from specific stakeholder groups. The sessions will be designed to educate participants on the specific air quality challenges faced by our region, to receive input and discuss issues in depth, and to develop partnerships for progress towards AQMD’s clean air goals with greater public participation.
The total amount of the contract will not exceed $135,300 for a one-year period, which represents the amount of the previous contract for the AQI’s.
Resource Impacts
Funds for the amendment of this contract will be appropriated from the Undesignated Fund Balance to FY 2009-10 Professional and Special Service Account.